All I Want
by omelette du fromage
Summary: Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy have been denying their feelings for too long. Now they've made Head Boy and Girl. Can they continue to keep their feelings concealed while they share a dorm area and work together? Sequel to All I Need
1. The Letters

A/N: Hello and welcome to the sequel to_ All I Need. _IMPORTANT: You will not understand the nature of things if you haven't read _All I Need_. That said, tarry forth.

_

* * *

_

_"Dear Draco, _

I can't tell you how much I laughed at your last letter. Seems like your summer has just been a virtual cornicopia of excitement. And wow! I can't believe Crabbe and Goyle managed to get girlfriends! I'm willing to make a wager on how long THAT will last. I say not past the first two weeks of school... loser pays for a round of butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks on our first Hogsmeade trip. What do you say?

At any rate, my summer's been fairly uneventful. I've been reading a few muggle books that I want to get finished and working in my parents' office to make a little extra money. However, my parents decided that in celebration of my making Head Girl and as it's my last summer at home (crossing my fingers, anyway!) that we're to take a holiday in the south of France for the next two weeks. We should be back just before Harry's birthday, and I'm to spend a few more days at home before staying at the Burrow for the remainder of the summer. Mrs. Weasley insisted.

So I am sorry to have to cut this note so short, but I've got to get packed! Mum and Dad have been pestering me to get ready, but I've gotten lazy over the summer. I will eagerly await your next letter, but I don't think I'll get it until I've reached the Burrow.

The Procrastinator, Hermione"

Hermione had just arrived at the Burrow and was beginning to unpack her things in Percy's old room. It was so neat and tidy, it was hard to believe that Percy wasn't still living there. He was living in London, working for the Department of Sports and Games, if you would believe that. His friend Oliver had talked him into it somehow, but Percy absolutely adored it there. She put down a pile of folded clothes to examine the things on Percy's dresser: a smiling picture of Percy, his new fiance Penelope, and Oliver Wood, taken on graduation day; the clipping from The Daily Prophet with the whole family on their trip to Egypt; his old Head Boy badge, which again read Big Head Boy; finally, a formal family portrait, all of the Weasleys grinning and waving. She sighed. Hermione hated change more than anything. A familiar sleek owl flew into the open window and dropped a letter and a small package amongst the belongings on the dresser. She grinned and opened the letter, petting the owl as she read.

_"To The Procrastinator, protector of all those who put things off, _

Can't believe you're actually going to the Burrow. I'm assuming Potter will be there, and the youngest Weasley (the only tolerable one, if you ask me) so it won't be all bad. Don't do anything with Weasley - Ron, I mean, not to confuse him with Ginny or anything - that you'll regret.

Anyways, Mother and Father have yet to make any plans for our summer, but that is to be expected. Father's out 'taking care of business' and Mother has been trying to set me up with some insufferable fifteen year old daughter of one of her friends that she plays bridge with (yes, my mother plays bridge.. honestly). The girl looks fine - stunning, by all standards, with this sleek black hair and a porcelain doll face - but she opens her damn mouth and she somehow manages to whine about everything. 'Oh Draco, what a beautiful day,' manages to sound like a tired five year old who wants something. Like nails on a ruddy chalkboard, she is. Knows nothing about anything. She goes to say something but all that comes out is wind that's been sweeping around her skull for a while. The worst part is, Mother invited her to stay in the manor with us while father is away. Needless to say, Mother is remarkably terrible at this cupid business.

So one day while I was bored, I managed to sneak off and shop for something. I've sent it with this letter... I do hope you like it. Open it."

Hermione noticed for the first time a small black box near the owl's claws. She untied the piece of twine and opened the velvet box to find a glint of silver wrapped in black velvet folds. She pulled the ring from its home and inspected it. It was a sterling silver ring, with no adornments. Hermione looked at it quizzically until she noticed that inside of the ring was engraved a dragon. She grinned at Draco's cleverness, and slid the ring on. It was a perfect fit. She continued reading.

_"You'll note that it's a plain sterling silver ring, no embellishments to be seen. Look inside the ring, however, and you will find that I had a dragon engraved using a simple spell. I bought you this ring to remind you of our friendship while you were at the Burrow... Silver, remember? And, so as not to arise any suspicions from anyone, I left the outside plain and instead put the dragon on the inside, closer to you. Though, the plain thing is metaphorical as well - that's how I am around you, just plain old Draco, no extra trimmings and no pretenses. _

Merlin, that's enough with the sappiness. Consider the ring my present to you for making Head Girl and a token of my unending gratitude for your help. Do tell me all about France, and as little as possible about the Burrow.

The Badass (hah!), Draco"

Hermione couldn't help but smile again and chuckle at Draco's signature. He'd outlined 'badass' with little flowers and smiley faces. She looked back down at the ring. She did think it was very thoughtful of him to send her such a present - as if she could forget about him anyway. Hermione's smile turned into a slight frown. She couldn't keep fawning over Draco this way, not when she was staying at the Burrow. Getting over Draco was harder than she had thought, and though there were dozens of self help books on the subject, it was the first time that going to the library had failed to solve Hermione's problem. She put his letter away with the rest of his letters that she had saved, and pulled out a piece of parchment to return his note.

_"Dear Badass (nice flowers), _

Oh, you really shouldn't have gone to all the trouble about the ring. I couldn't forget about you if I tried!" 'Which I have,' she thought sadly. _"But the ring is beautiful, a perfect fit which is hard to manage with my thick fingers! I'm not kidding you when I tell you I'm going to keep your owl - she is so beautiful and she's really taking a liking to me! _

France was stunning. We've been down there before, but this summer the waters were so brilliantly blue that I wanted to take some with me. The sun was always shining, and I'm afraid I got quite a tan while I was there, which is horrible for my skin. We did stop off in Paris for a few days, which was great. I explored some of wizarding Paris, which was so exciting. Besides the Beauxbaton kids, I've never really met any French wizards! I'm sending you something I picked up for you while in France. It was intended to be a birthday present, but I'm too eager to give it to you. Stop reading and open it. SERIOUSLY DRACO, I KNOW you're still reading!"

He laughed. She knew him all too well. He opened the brown paper parcel that his owl had brought back for him and smiled, feeling his heart stop at her heartfelt present.  
_  
"It's a poetry book. I remembered you said you only had the one, and you'd already read it a dozen times. I know you don't want to risk your dad finding it, so I put a spell on it. To all outward appearances, it will appear to be a blank notebook. If you want to read it or anything, just tap it with your wand and say 'Apparaissez'. It can also be translated to English or French, 'Anglais' for English and 'Français' for French. I wasn't really sure if you could read French, but I'm pretty sure I heard you speak a bit once. Just to be sure, I put a translating spell on it. _

Anyways, it's so weird here at the Burrow. It's just Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Ginny, Charlie, and me most of the time. Mr. Weasley works overtime what with the war and all. It's not the same - it's so quiet, it's eerie. And poor Charlie hasn't been the same since he was so wounded in battle. It's such a sad atmosphere; Mrs. Weasley is so afraid of losing someone, after being so close to losing Charlie.

Sorry to ramble. I've got to go, Harry's just arrived. We're going to Diagon Alley soon, though I don't know when. I hope to see you there! Enjoy the remainder of your summer.

Le Paresseux, Hermione"

Draco sighed. He hated her being at the Burrow. He was afraid of what Ron would try to get out of her or what he would even do to her. Ron was not the weak child he had been when he started Hogwarts, and Draco was sure that he could easily overpower Hermione. He pushed all pessimistic thoughts out of his mind, and looked at the poetry book. He knew that she must still have feelings for him, to get Draco such a gift. As much as he tried, he'd thought of nothing but Hermione all summer, longing for her presence. No matter. He was going to Diagon Alley soon as well, but knew they could never owl each other enough in the time they had left to arrange for a meeting. He would just have to hope they ran into each other. He tucked her letter with the others.

"Dracoooooooo!"

He sighed. "What, Karissa!"

The girl walked into his room and pouted. "Dracooo, I'm hungry."

"So get something to eat."

"I don't know where to go."

"The kitchen?"

"What's that?"

He lay on his back and sprawled his arms across the bedspread.

"Merlin, erase me from this planet!" he pleaded.

Karissa laughed in her high pitched, ditzy way. "How's he supposed to do that? With a giant pencil?"

He gave one last pleading look at the ceiling before leading the vacant excuse for a girl out of his room.


	2. At Diagon Alley

The streets of Diagon Alley were crowded with students from Hogwarts. Hermione and Harry went with the Weasley family to do their school shopping. There was a sense of sadness in the air, because they all knew it would be their last year shopping for school supplies. It was the kind of day where the sun and the clouds were battling for dominance of the sky, and the air was thick with the coming rain. Hermione looked up and sighed. She had been keeping an eye out for Draco all day, hoping that by chance he was making purchases that day as well. She felt as though it was hopeless; after all, what were the odds?

"Hey, Harry, Ron, come get a look at this broom!" The boys dragged Hermione over to Seamus, who was staring longingly at the newest model broom in the Quidditch supply shop.

"Wow, that's wicked Seamus!" Harry was enamoured with the broomstick.

As the boys stared wistfully at the broom none of them could have, Hermione allowed her eyes to wander. She was tired of standing there, listening to the boys blabber about Quidditch, and thought that the book shop would be more interesting.

"Hey, guys, I'll meet you in Flourish and Blotts, ok?" She didn't wait for a response. Just as she turned to go, the boys headed towards the entrance to the Quidditch supply shop.

"So Seamus, how much is the broom?"

"More than your family makes in a year, Weasley," came a sneering voice from the doorway. The boys all snapped their heads in the direction of a smirking Draco Malfoy.

"Oh Merlin, couldn't you have died over the summer or something Malfoy?"

"I was thinking the same thing about you Weasel." Draco cocked an eyebrow. "Funny how that works out, isn't it?" Draco walked past the group, making sure to push Ron against the wall.

"Oops," he snickered as he left the shop. He stopped a few yards away from the door. He was sure that if Harry and Ron were in Diagon Alley, Hermione would be with them. Draco sighed in disappointment, assuming that Hermione must have stayed behind for some reason. Apparently, he'd never heard what they say about making assumptions. Calling to Karissa, he headed to the book shop.

Hermione was perusing through the bookshelves, looking for something good to read. She would have to stock up before school started, as the book store in Hogsmeade was not nearly as extensive as Flourish and Blotts.

Draco was crouched down, looking for a book he had read about in The Daily Prophet. It was supposed to be a very good read. Suddenly, he caught the familiar scent of vanilla, the one he had engraved in his mind. He quickly stood up to look for Hermione. She had to be there!

At that same moment, on the opposite side of the bookcase, Hermione kneeled over to check out a book on the bottom shelf. The Daily Prophet said that it was a very good read. She pulled it out, and as un lady-like as it was, she sat on the ground to give it a cursory glance.

Draco sighed again. He must have just imagined the sweet smell of Hermione. It was wishful thinking that made him so alert. He mentally slapped himself for being so stupid, and went over to the secluded schoolbook section to get the books on his school list.

"Come on, Karissa."

Hermione snapped the book shut and looked around. She was sure she had just heard Draco's voice. She stood up from her position on the ground and looked around the bookshop. Her heart dropped as she realized that it was merely wishful thinking, not Draco's voice, that called her out of her book. Picking up her pile of books, she went to pay the man at the counter. Hermione passed the man her money and turned to leave when she saw out of the window that the sun had completely disappeared and the rain was coming down in buckets. Just what she needed. With a heavy sigh, she sat down at a table towards the back and began to read one of her novels.

Draco and Karissa finally finished finding their needed schoolbooks and paid the man at the counter. The man didn't feel as though the shiny sickles Draco had paid him with were real, and proceeded to ask every member of the staff what they thought. By the time he was finished casting all his counterfeit spells, the rain had let up and the sun once again broke through the clouds.

Hermione looked up to see if it had stopped raining. She saw a flash of silver blonde hair that she had dreamed about all summer. Her breath caught in her throat and she gathered all of her belongings in a heap. She ran towards the door to see if the hair she had seen truly belonged to her Silver when suddenly two male bodies stopped her.

"Hey 'Mione, sorry it took us so long, but we were stuck in the Quidditch shop when it started raining!" She craned her neck around Ron to see where the blonde head had gone, but it was too late. She had made it up inside her head. Her body relaxed, disappointed, and she looked at Ron and Harry.

"That's alright. Can we go now?"

They had only just arrived at the Burrow and Hermione had begun packing her school things when an owl flew in the window.

_"Hermione,_

Went to Diagon Alley today. I've only just gotten home. I had to take Karissa to get her school things as well. I swear I could've killed her. How she got into Ravenclaw, the world may never know. Speaking of killing, I ran into your boyfriend at the Quidditch shop. What a wanker! Anyways, the reason I owled you so fast is because there's a book in Flourish and Blott's I thought you ought to get. It's called The Life and Times of Milo Evenstar_. I saw it and figured you'd be interested. I hope I got this to you before you went to Diagon Alley._

Rained buckets earlier today. Hope you stayed dry! I was stuck in Flourish and Blott's while the stupid clerk made sure my money wasn't counterfeit.

-Draco"  
  
She looked down at the book in her hands and gave a hollow laugh._ The Life and Times of Milo Evenstar._ They had purchased the same book. Not only that, but they had been at two of the same places at the same time. She felt like bashing her head in with the book.

_"Draco,_

Funny. I went to Diagon Alley today as well. No worries, I bought The Life and Times of Milo Evenstar_ - what's funny, I was going to tell you to buy it._

I was in Flourish and Blott's when it started raining as well. I sat in the back and started reading my book. I thought I heard you, but I couldn't see where you were. I guess you were in the back getting school books. Was also with Ron and Harry outside of the Quidditch shop, but I left to get reading material.

Irony is everywhere, don't you think?

-Hermione"  
  
Draco let out a loud noise of exasperation and banged his head against his trunk a few times. He was in the middle of packing when her owl arrived and he was angry with himself for missing Hermione so many times. Karissa popped her head in the door.

"Draco, what was that noise?"

"Nothing, Karissa. Don't you need to get packed or something?"

"Packed for what?"

"Hogwarts, Karissa."

"Oh yea!" She giggled. "Mom feels the house elves do a better job of packing than I do. I always forget something."

"Imagine that. Say, have you ever met Neville Longbottom?"

She wrinkled her nose. "What kind of a name is that? Is this a joke?"

"Your life is a joke," he muttered.

"What?"

"I said don't be a slow poke. You should probably go help the house elf or something."

"Oh," she nodded. "You're probably right. I don't think I'd fit in their tea cozies."

The sad part about that was, Karissa was completely serious.

The next week, the Weasley house was bustling with activity. Bits of toast were flying everywhere as everyone was doing last minute packing and helping to load the new car. After several trips, they were on their way to King's Cross. Hermione kept her nose buried in _The Life and Times of Milo Evenstar_, but she was secretly thinking about her reunion with Draco. Hermione looked at her watch. It was 10:30. Only a half hour more and she would be seeing him. She checked her reflection in the mirror for the thousandth time.

"Hermione, calm down, it's just the train ride."

"I know, Gin, but I'm Head Girl. I have to look poised."

"You look like you always do," Ron sighed as he took her hand in his.

"Thanks Ron," Hermione said in a tone that no one picked up.


	3. A Mixed Reunion

Draco stood by his luggage on Platform 9 and 3/4, tapping his toe impatiently on the sidewalk. He peered up at the clock once again, which still read 10:46. Figuring it was hopeless to stand out there much longer to wait for Hermione, he pushed through the throngs of people.

"Move it kids, NOW!"

The crowd parted in the gleam of his Head Boy badge. After marching up the train corridor for a moment, he stormed into the compartment that read "Head Boy and Girl." As he was putting his things away, he realized that there had never been a special compartment for Head Boy and Girl. He lifted his eyebrow in a moment of thought before settling in with his book.

Hermione gave the Weasleys a quick hug before rushing through the wall between platforms nine and ten. The family always made it a point to be fashionably late, and this time was no exception as the gate was set to close in another two minutes. She made sure her luggage was safely stored on the train before bounding down the corridor, screeching to a halt near a door that read "Head Boy and Girl." She had been preparing for this role since she first heard about the positions seven years ago, and she knew that there had never been such a compartment before. Curiously, Hermione slid the door open.

"Draco!"

Draco dropped his book on the floor as Hermione flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a giant hug. Stunned, he took a few moments to realize what had happened before hugging Hermione back. The train lurched to a start.

"Hermione, as much as I missed you over the summer, I can't breathe..."

"Oh! I'm sorry," she said as she disentangled herself from Draco. "Its just, wow, I've missed you over the summer. I mean, I had a great summer and all, but it would have been better if you were around." She beamed at him.

"How rude of me to not ask how your summer went! I loved your letters, but tell me again about your summer, Draco."

"You've called me Draco, twice now."

She looked confused for a moment, then it faded into embarrassment.

"Well, I mean... Silver was a nice nickname and all, but it's a bit silly to call you that all the time. Draco is a beautiful name...besides, I got used to referring to you as Draco in our letters."

He smiled.

"It's alright. Did you get my ring?"

She held up her hand before replying, "Yes! Oh, it's so beautiful. Did you get my poetry book?"

He reached inside his robes and pulled the book from his pocket. As he held the book up for her to see, she could see that it was already worn in; the leather was soft and malleable, there were folded pages, and the edges were weather worn from use. He put the book back in his pocket.

At that moment, Harry and Ron burst through the compartment door.

"Hermione, can we - oh, you're in here." Ron looked Draco over with disgust.

"Mione, we wondered where you'd gotten off to so fast. Listen, aren't you going to come sit with me, Ron, and Ginny like you usually do?" Harry gestured in the direction of their usual compartment.

"It's Ron, Ginny, and me, and no, I'm going to sit in this compartment this time."

"But it's the last time we'll ever ride the train to school! It's tradition. Would you honestly rather sit in this compartment with Malfoy than sit with us?"

Hermione sighed, staring carefully at Ron and Harry. She then turned her glance towards Draco, then back at her two best friends.

"Guys, I've been with the two of you all summer. Tell you what, I'll spend a bit of time in here, and then I'll come back to sit with you guys."

Harry nodded and left the room, but Ron stood firmly in place staring Draco down. Harry popped his head back in and pulled on Ron's arm.

"Ron, come on, your sister is down there talking to Seamus."

At this, Ron snapped out of the staring contest and jerked to face Harry. "Seamus? Why didn't you say so sooner!" He turned and as the compartment door shut, they heard Ron's voice: "GINERVA WEASLEY!" Harry and Hermione laughed, and Draco couldn't help but bite back a smile. Seamus had a reputation of being a ladies man, and it was looking like his first target of the year was none other than the blooming Ginny Weasley.

After Harry left, Draco and Hermione talked about everything that had happened over the summer, even the things they had written about in their letters, and when they were done talking about that they talked about anything that came up. The old witch with the trolley filled with snacks stopped to knock on the door. She slid it open, and slowly hobbled in, as she was getting on in years.

"Compliments of Professor Dumbledore, and congratulations."

She passed them each a Chocolate Frog and a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans before giving them a proud grandmotherly smile. Hermione got up to give the old woman a hug, the first hug she'd had in a while. Draco, seeing the woman's face light up, followed suit by embracing the cart witch and giving her a peck on the cheek. A small tear slid down her face as she simply nodded at them and left. Hermione spoke softly.

"You know Death Eaters killed her only child and grandchildren, don't you?"

Draco looked stunned. "I had no idea...how did you know that?"

"Mr. Weasley told us about it. She only had one child... a woman, who had two young children; an eleven year old girl who would have started at Hogwarts this year, and a seven year old boy. Death Eaters broke into their home, because apparently her husband had an important ministry job. He refused to help them with whatever they wanted, so they tortured and killed his children and wife, before finally killing him as well."

"Oh, wow..."

She simply nodded. She almost expected him to say something about Lucius, but he only sat staring off into space, his eyes clouded over. She glanced at her watch.

"Well, I think I should probably be going now. Harry and Ron are probably about to wet themselves."

"Hmmm? Oh, yea, of course. I'll see you when we get back to the castle, then?"

"Of course." They both stood and hugged before she exited the compartment. She couldn't wait for the school year to really start: she was sure it was going to be the best year ever.


	4. New Ideas for the Heads

The rest of the train ride was like any other that had passed, and before anyone knew it they had pulled into the Hogsmeade station. Ron, Harry, and Hermione shared a carriage with Neville and made small talk until they pulled up to the castle. It always took Hermione's breath away the first time she saw her beloved school lit up against the night sky, its turrets plunging into the heavens and the moonlit grounds welcoming her back every year. Her stomach clenched as she remembered that this would be the last time she would be greeted this way.

Draco hurried towards the entrance after leaping from his carriage, eager to get away from Crabbe and Goyle for a few moments. The stench building up inside was enough to kill a man of Hagrid's size. Rolling his eyes, he wondered how two boys could reach the age of seventeen with such bad hygienic habits. He stopped a few yards from the nearest carriage to watch Hermione gracefully take Harry's outstretched hand and step down from her carriage. His eyes narrowed and he let out a small "tut" of jealousy. Draco was just beginning to hope that Ron had died when he saw Ron leap out of the carriage behind Hermione and sling his arm around her shoulders. His eyes became two slits of gunmetal ready to kill. He stalked into the castle behind them, clenching his fists and baring his teeth.

"Before we begin our feast, I must announce that this year's Head Boy and Girl are Draco Malfoy of Slytherin, and Hermione Granger of Gryffindor." There was a smattering of applause before Dumbledore continued with his usual start-of-term announcements. Hermione blushed as all the seventh year Gryffindors patted her on the back or grinned at her. On the opposite side of the room, Draco looked annoyed as Pansy and Blaise both slid into seats next to him and rubbed up on him. She looked back up at the teacher's table.

"...also added to the list of forbidden items. Mr. Filch will gladly let you know just how many things you aren't allowed - I believe the count is around five hundred or so now. That is all, and so... Tuck in!"

Before Hermione could begin eating, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Behind her was Professor McGonagall.

"Hermione, dear, after the feast you should meet Headmaster Dumbledore outside his office. Mister Malfoy should be there as well." Hermione nodded in understanding and turned back to eat.

Draco had just chosen a prime piece of chicken when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"What?" he inquired exasperated.

"Pardon the intrusion, Draco, but after the feast is finished you are to meet Dumbledore outside his office. Now, am I excused?" Snape face showed sarcasm as the corner of his lip turned up.

"Yea, whatever," Draco replied, his back turned and his face flushed.

Outside the gargoyle statue stood Hermione, tapping her foot impatiently. She couldn't wait to see her private dorm and had rushed away from the feast as soon as she was through eating. She looked at her watch. Surely the feast would be over by now.

"Miss Granger, I see you wasted no time getting here."

She whirled around on her heel. "Professor Dumbledore, how did you get up here so quickly?"

He simply grinned and popped a lemon drop into his mouth. "The answer to that is - why, Mister Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you well."

Hermione turned back to look at Draco, who was giving a slight nod to the Headmaster. Dumbledore grinned and motioned for them to follow. A few corridors later, they arrived at a portrait of two beaming students.

"Hogwarts first Head Boy and Girl. Draco, Hermione, may I introduce you to William and Elizabeth."

"Oh please, call me Lizzie, and he's just Will. We will be seeing a lot of each other this year after all!"

"Pardon my formalities, Lizzie." The girl smiled and waved her hand in a carefree way to excuse Dumbledore. "Now, the two of you must choose a password that you can both remember."

"How about Silver?" Hermione suggested, smiling at Draco.

"Excellent idea Hermione. Draco?"

Draco nodded his approval.

"Silver it is," Will beamed and the portrait popped open.

Inside the portrait hole was a large room the size of any common room, but instead of the typical stone floors, a shiny mahogany wood floor peeped out from under antique area rugs. Two plush white leather couches were flanked by camel colored leather chairs near the blazing fireplace. Moonlight poured through three large windows at the end of the room and onto a large desk surrounded by more chairs. Behind a small staircase was a line of bookcases against a wall. Hermione and Draco both stared around the room that was now theirs.

"This is the area that you are to share. The desk is for schoolwork and anything the two of you need to collaborate on. If you are wondering about the extra chairs, they are for any prefect meetings you may need to have. Now, can I lead you up to your bedrooms?"

Without waiting for an answer, he climbed up the staircase to the landing where there were two openings.

"Sir? Where are the doors?" Hermione pulled curiously at the red velvet curtain in the doorway.

"Ah well... I decided that this year, it would be better for the Head Boy and Girl relationship if there were no doors inside the dorm. That way you can't shut anyone out or shut the door on any problems." Dumbledore opened the curtain to reveal another large size room. "Hermione, this is your personal area."

Hermione had to fight her jaw from dropping. A queen sized four poster bed was surrounded by more deep red velvet curtains. This room was covered in creamy white deep carpeting with mahogany furniture. Another large window with deep red curtains was the centerpiece for a small sitting area, with a chaise lounge and nightstand. There was another small desk in this room situated near a large wardrobe. Hermione was deeply impressed with a small fireplace of her own with a plush red armchair and a small table for books. Dumbledore pointed towards an actual door.

"That is your bathroom… I felt that it deserved a real door. Now, Mister Malfoy, this way."

They both followed Dumbledore out of Hermione's room and into the opening on the left, covered by a deep green curtain. The room inside was nearly identical to Hermione's with the same creamy carpeting, but what was red for Hermione was green for Draco.

"House colors... rather cliché and expected." He was fighting against his admiration for the room.

Dumbledore chuckled. "You can change them if you like, Mister Malfoy. Just ask the house elves to do it for you. Now, if you'd like to check out the bathroom."

He opened the door to the bathroom and both students saw that everything was done in a simple white, with a few navy blue accents. They saw the luxurious bathtub, the nice shower, and the two rooms for the loos - and then they both furrowed their brows.

"Wait... there's two toilets in here..."

"Wait... there's another door over there..." Hermione rushed and opened the door opposite to the one they were standing in. "Wait... THAT'S MY ROOM!"

Both jaws fell to the floor as they stared at Dumbledore waiting for an explanation.

"Ah yes, well... I decided to encourage the two of you to get along, it would be best if you shared a bathroom. Hence the doors." He smiled at the teens and popped a new lemon drop into his mouth. His cleverness amazed him at times.

Draco and Hermione looked at each other, then back at Dumbledore, then back at each other. With one final look around the bathroom, they looked into each other's rooms and at the doors.

_"WHAT!" "WHAT!"_


	5. Mother Dearest

The first night in the dorms was very tense. Neither Hermione nor Draco could believe that they had to share a bathroom. Had the old Headmaster finally lost his mind? The set up was completely different than that of any other year, which made the Heads very suspicious. Surely, as crazy as Dumbledore was, he wouldn't be trying to push the teens together. It almost seemed like he was encouraging some kind of hook up.

And Draco couldn't have been more appreciative of the loony old badger.

The next morning over breakfast, Hermione was sharing the details of her new surroundings to Harry and Ron. Without any forethought, Hermione gave away the secret of the shared bathroom.

"YOU'RE SHARING A WHAT!" Ron's face turned the deep scarlet of the Gryffindor flag over their heads as bits of partially chewed toast flew all over Seamus.

"Sorry Seamus."

"Why does everyone always spit food all over me, eh?" Disgusted, Seamus left to change his robes.

"You are sharing a bloody bathroom with Malfoy? As in the place where you SHOWER?"

"No Ron, as in the place she sleeps." Harry stuck his fork into a pile of eggs and folded his arms across his chest.

"Alright Harry, we don't even want to go to the fact that he can access her room anytime he pleases."

"Ron, calm down, it's not like he's going to rape me or anything."

"Rape you?" Ron looked positively livid. "No, he'll KILL you! The minute his father gets wind of this, he'll... why he'd just... I mean, you're a MUGGLE for Merlin's sake!"

Hermione simply glared at Ron, who cocked his head at her in aggravation. She widened her eyes and threw up her arms to show her frustration. The tension between the two was too much for Harry. He half expected an explosion.

"Uhhh, wow, look at the time, let's hurry to class then shall we?"

He pulled upwards on Ron's arm and grabbed both their bags. Hermione looked down at her schedule to see just where they should head that morning.

"Double potions with Slytherin, I already looked."

Ron continued to stare straightforward as they walked to the door. Hermione and Harry just exchanged dark looks while trying to keep up with Ron's fast pace. They had never had Potions first thing in the morning first thing in the week, and it was looking like they wouldn't have a good week all year. Spending every Monday morning with Snape? Sheer Heaven.

They walked into the same dungeon room they'd seen for seven years. Hermione's eyes scanned the room and saw that Draco was flanked by his two cohorts. Their eyes locked and Hermione quickly looked away to avoid the intensity. The next group she eyed was also looking at her, but with a look of pure hatred. Blaise and Pansy had apparently heard about the dorm arrangements as well. Startled, Hermione sat down next to Ron and Harry and proceeded to stare at her pile of books.

At the end of the week, Hermione crashed onto a couch exhausted. She couldn't remember having a more taxing week, even when she was using the time turner in her third year. She had heard that seventh year was the hardest, but now that she was experiencing it, she thought people had been too kind about the last year. Hermione heard the portrait hole swing open and casually cast her eyes towards it.

Draco crawled in with as much grace and dignity as possible and threw his books instantly upon the floor. He slouched into an armchair and looked at Hermione.

"And how was your day then?"

She chuckled. "About as good as yours, apparently. I can't believe the load they've given us this year."

"Yes well, N.E.W.T's and all, remember?"

Just then, an owl pecked at the window. Hermione grudgingly got up to let it in. As the window opened, the owl fluttered past Hermione and dropped something into Draco's lap before flying back out, not forgetting to cuff Hermione's head with her wing. She cursed at the owl, angrily shutting the window on its tail.

"Damn bird."

Hermione smoothed her hair back down as she flung herself back onto the couch. She had just closed her eyes when Draco cursed aloud. She sat up quickly and looked at him. He balled up the letter in his hand and threw it at the fireplace. The ball of paper bounced off the wall inches away and rolled under a side table. Draco grunted in disgust and slouched further into his chair.

"What?"

"Oh, Mother had just fantastic news. Apparently our dear Karissa can't handle her workload and needs a tutor. So guess who has been appointed to the position?"

"You don't have to tutor her if you don't want."

"Yes, I do. You don't know Mother. She'll have Howler after Howler sent until I do it. And if those didn't work... well Mother has quite a wrath."

It was very amusing to hear Draco, who was so independent and tough, speak of his mother in an almost fearful way. Hermione fought against her giggles, but her smile could not be contained.

"What are you smiling at then?"

"Nothing, nothing. I'm dead tired, I think I'll go to bed."

Hermione had just reached the foot of the stairs when there was a knocking at the portrait. She curiously turned to see Draco open the hole. A giggling girl came barreling through the portrait hole and instantly threw herself at Draco.

"Draco, your mother just wrote to say that you were going to tutor me! Isn't this the absolute greatest!"

Draco threw Karissa off him, and she stumbled a few feet before falling to the ground. He swept his robes and disdainfully looked down at her.

"You will be here every Thursday evening after dinner. We will work for one hour, and then you will leave. You will come with all of your books and you will be on time, or else you'll be on your own."

He turned on his heel and glared at Hermione's snort of laughter as he walked past her up the stairs and into his room. Another snort came when Draco attempted to slam the curtain shut. She turned back to Karissa, who was sulking on the floor. She had to once more fight against her own giggles.

"Well... I guess I'll be seeing you around then. Good night!"

Her peals of laughter could be heard as soon as the red curtain to her room was shut.


	6. In My Place

A/N: Another guest appearance by Coldplay. _In My Place_ is used here, try playing it when Hermione pauses her quill

* * *

The weather that evening gave way from the pleasant sunshine to blackened sky and by that Saturday visibility on the grounds was reduced to zero because of the thick rain. While students were thankful that they didn't have to face classes in such weather, most felt that their weekend had been shot. Hermione, on the other hand, felt it to be the perfect opportunity to snuggle in her cozy armchair near the fire and read. Draco took the opportunity to either nap or brood.

Hermione slept in until around noon, and after a small lunch, sat down at the desk provided for her and Draco. Her homework was easily distinguished from Draco's because of the neat, orderly piles as compared with his haphazard stacks, lopsided and perilously near falling over. With a small sigh, she engaged herself in catching up her schoolwork.

Sometime shortly after five, with a few stretch breaks and two visits to the kitchen, Hermione was finished. She put away her school things, happy to have accomplished something, and went down to dinner.

"Hello, boys," she pulled a chair out from under the table after acknowledging her two best friends.

"Boys," scoffed Harry, spilling a little pumpkin juice down his shirt. "You are sadly mistaken. I see no boys here… just men."

"'Ea, me'," Ron added, his mouth full of pudding.

"Ah of course, forgive the mistake." Hermione fought against her gag reflex. When would these boys ever grow up?

"Anyway," Ron swallowed his food before continuing, "where've you been all day miss Head Girl?"

"Oh just catching up on my schoolwork."

"On a Saturday!" Both boys looked astounded.

"Well what else am I supposed to do when it's raining like this?" Hermione pointed at the enchanted ceiling, which clearly showed the turbulent sky.

Ron snorted, his face a little pink. "And what about Malfoy?"

She shrugged. "Don't know, haven't seen him all day."

Ron had no choice but to leave things at that as Hermione casually ate her dinner.

Upon returning to the dorms, Hermione noticed the curled up ball of paper underneath the table, untouched after Draco threw it the previous evening. Curiosity getting the best of her, she cautiously picked up the discarded parchment and went into her room. Being sure not to make too much noise with the crinkled paper, she opened it.

_"My dearest Draco, _

Well, I've just heard from Mrs. Martin, and Karissa is not doing so well at school. She's really desperate for dear Kari to achieve great things, and you would think that her being in Ravenclaw would mean intelligence, but I guess the hat makes a mistake every now and then. But listen to me be so cruel to poor Mrs. Martin and Kari!

At any rate, Mrs. Martin was so graciously wondering if maybe you would tutor Kari, and of course I told her you'd be more than willing, what with the two of you having hit it off so well this summer. I am so glad that you've found someone you can at least tolerate! After all the beautiful young ladies I paraded through the house this summer, it seems like maybe this young Kari may become your betrothed! Oh and wouldn't things be so beautiful, Mrs. Martin and I becoming relatives, and of course the lovely grandchildren, and all the society parties... but, there I go ranting again.

Draco, darling, your father and I feared for so long that you might be... well... different. Truthfully, dear, gay. But then you came home from school this year ranting and raving about some delicious young lady at Hogwarts, and we were quite relieved! Unfortunately my love you know your father's standing on muggles, so I'm afraid you might just have to settle with Kari. I mean, she is so beautiful, and from a rightful wizarding family, and so much better than that Parkinson girl! What a downright disaster that was!

Darling, my only request is that you settle yourself down before you graduate. You know I'd like to see you married and continuing the Malfoy line, the sooner the better. Send Severus my regards!

With love, Mother"

Hermione chuckled at the letter. To think Draco could be gay! It was so absurd, and while she was sure that Narcissa had Draco's best interest at heart, she reminded Hermione so much of a Mrs. Bennet from a book she had once read. She returned the letter to where she had found it and retired to writing in her journal.

_"Well, lately the Draco situation has become nothing short of perplexing. I know I was so set on moving on, on getting over him, but that has proved to be an impossible task. I can think of nothing but him, he's the last thing I think about before I fall asleep and the first thing when I wake up. I want to be around him all the time, if nothing else but to hear him laugh. But the way I talk, it almost sounds like my feelings might run deeper than simple affection. Indeed, for a while I feared that I was falling in love with him. But that would be very laughable indeed. For what Malfoy could love or marry a muggle? The very idea of being in love with Draco is absurd."  
_  
Hermione paused her quill. Her bathroom door was wide open, and it sounded to her like there was a guitar being played. She put down her journal and cautiously crept toward the open door. A small stream of light emerged from Draco's door, and being careful not to make a sound, she walked close enough to see Draco sitting on his bed and strumming his guitar. She felt like she was invading an extremely personal moment, and yet she couldn't tear her eyes away from the beautiful sight of Draco relaxed. Draco was staring aimlessly out the window, his able fingers strumming the strings. Her heart absolutely melted. She could hear his voice softly begin to sing.

_In my place, in my place _

Were lines that I couldn't change

I was lost, oh yeah

Draco shut his eyes as he sang, his fingers playing the familiar song.

_And I was lost, I was lost _

Crossed lines I shouldn't have crossed

I was lost, oh yeah

Draco's voice grew a little louder, his face a little more passionate.

_Yeah, how long must you wait for it? _

Yeah, how long must you pay for it?

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Oh, for it

This was obviously a song Draco was familiar with, not missing a single chord, not messing up a single lyric. His eyes opened and he looked back out of the window, this time as though he could actually see something. Hermione knew he was remembering something, but as to what, she didn't know. His voice grew stronger as he sang.

_I was scared, I was scared _

Tired and under prepared

But I wait for it

He looked down at the guitar, a little sad or forlorn.

_If you go, if you go _

And leave me down here on my own

Then I'll wait for you, yeah

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Yeah, how long must you pay for it?

Yeah, how long must you wait for it?

Oh, for it

Hermione no longer knew just where she was, no longer knew just what she was doing. All she knew was Draco's angelic voice, his able guitar playing, and the gorgeous man that could be no more than ten feet away from her. Her heart was nearly bursting with pent up emotion, with feelings that she could never attest to having before, and her heart quickened with a sudden realization. No logic, no rationalization could get her out of this, and she knew that she had truthfully fallen for Draco Malfoy, and she had fallen hard. This moment, this song, this shared electricity that she felt like she was sharing with Draco was one that she knew not even time would erase. Tears welled up in her eyes, a mixture of both fear and absolute rapture, and she observed Draco even more carefully as he again shut his eyes and sang his heart out.

_Sing it please, please, please _

Come back and sing to me

To me, me

Come on and sing it out, now, now

Come on and sing it out, to me, me

Come back and sing it

In my place, in my place

Were lines that I couldn't change

And I was lost, oh yeah, oh yeah

Being very careful not to be discovered, Hermione snuck back into her room, leaving Draco alone again. She shut the bathroom door and leaned against it, her heart fluttering so hard in her chest, and she could feel the flush that had overcome her body. After a moment, Hermione sat back down and resumed writing in her journal.

_"And yet, I am absolutely certain that I am very much in love with Draco, and could never have such strong feelings for any other man..."_


	7. Thunderstorms

Draco sighed as he finished the song he knew so well. It reminded him of his situation with Hermione, from the time they first met to now. He heard a small noise from the bathroom and quickly looked towards the door only to find it was just Hermione's door shutting. He wondered if she had heard him singing, but thought it to be impossible. With another small sigh, he continued playing a few songs that he had picked up over the summer. The guitar was his refuge, his solace in times of need, and with his dad popping in and out all summer he could use all the escape he could get.

Lucius hadn't been in Azkaban for very long until the Dementors had joined the dark side and Lucius was allowed free again. He did have to keep hidden for the most part, which left Malfoy Manor out of the question. Sure, he'd stop in every now and then to check up on Narcissa and Draco, who were both doing just fine on the money Lucius had left, but other than that Lucius remained by the Dark Lord's side. Draco was surprised his father had held up this long under all the stress of being in hiding, but he still managed to take care of his family. He'd never truly been a good dad, but Draco knew in his heart of hearts that he cared about them. Lucius just wasn't the parent type.

He glanced out of the window and saw lightening striking off in the distance. It looked stunning against the dark night sky and Draco was entranced by nature's work. After a few moments of watching the violent sky, he put away his guitar and got ready for bed. Small rolls of thunder could be heard in the distance as he crawled into his four poster.

Unfortunately, Draco was finding it hard to sleep. His feelings for Hermione had only grown deeper over the summer and now that they were sharing a dorm she was inescapable. He stared up into the green hangings of his bed and tried to think of anything but her, but that was absolutely impossible. Her beautiful face, her melodic voice, everything about her down to her scent were embedded onto his brain. He sensed that she still had feelings for him, but he was sure they were dwindling. Draco was appalled that she was still with Ron, because he certainly hadn't matured over the summer.

Why couldn't she have fallen for him the way he had fallen for her? She had admitted her feelings, but was too stubborn to follow her heart. He wanted to strangle Ron when he thought of what he and Hermione could have shared if he and Hermione could be together. He knew what they would have would be something special, something that no one could take away. Draco clenched his sheets in his anger. Why couldn't he have the one thing he truly wanted? Finally, after an hour or so of thinking about Hermione, Draco felt himself falling asleep.

Draco was walking the line between sleep and reality when a huge clap of thunder jerked him awake. He opened his curtains and glared out the window to find that the heart of the storm was now over the castle. A bolt of lightening struck right over the lake and another boom rattled his windows. Draco knew he was in for a long night, and shut his curtains again.

He had only just settled into bed and shut his eyes when his velvet curtains flew open and a small figure jumped into his bed, slamming his curtains shut. He could feel his bed shift under the pressure of a new presence and he quickly scrambled away from the source.

"Who's there?"

"It's me," Hermione whispered, and Draco heard her sniffle softly. He relaxed and slid back into bed where he was before. He felt her crawl closer to him and slip her arm over his bare stomach. She sniffled again.

"Are you ok?"

"Yea ... well, no... I- I'm afraid of thunderstorms."

"What?" He tried not to snicker, but amusement was written in his voice.

"Please, please don't laugh. I just... I don't like it, it's scary. I used to crawl in bed with my parents whenever they happened. Of course it was kind of harder in school because of my dorm mates, but I could still keep it under control because I knew there were four other people in the room. But, sleeping by myself… I just... can I please sleep here tonight Draco, please?"

She pulled her body closer to him as another roll of thunder could be heard outside. He wrapped his arms around her and told her that of course she could stay. He began to softly stroke her hair and Draco kissed her forehead. She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. Draco suddenly realized how intimate they were; he was in nothing but a pair of his boxers and Hermione was wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts. He could feel her hot breath fanning his collarbone and her smooth skin pressed up against his torso.

He pulled the down comforter around their bodies and she snuggled into his warm body. Hermione suddenly lifted her head up and looked into Draco's eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You're always there for me." She leaned into him and kissed his cheek.

He sucked in his breath as her soft lips lingered on his skin and his eyes instinctively shut as she curled back into his body. He pulled her hair away from her face and ran his fingers through it as she fell asleep. Draco watched her face as her breath slowed and her body relaxed. She looked like an angel, lying there in his arms, and he couldn't resist.

"I love you," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. A small smile crossed her sleeping face as she nuzzled her nose against his chest. His heartbeat quickened in fear that she was awake, but yet her small sleepy moan let him know she was deep in sleep. He smiled softly as he too fell asleep.

Hermione woke the next morning in a very good mood as she recalled the dream she had. She had been walking along the beaches of southern France, her small hand in Draco's when suddenly he stopped her and kissed her. It had been the sweetest kiss, one she never wanted to end when he pulled back. He smiled down at her, his silver eyes meeting hers. Then, she could barely hear him, but the words were clear: "I love you." She couldn't keep the smile off her face, and she pulled into his chest and murmured "I love you, too."

She reached up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. As the world came back into focus, she saw that the red hangings of her bed were replaced by velvet of deep green. Hermione was suddenly very aware of a pair of strong male arms wrapped around her. She looked up to see the peaceful face of Draco. A small smile graced his lips, and she smiled at the picture he presented. His blonde hair was haphazard on his head and his entire face was relaxed in deep sleep.

She looked around. They were wrapped together, a tangle of arms and legs wound up in blankets and sheets. Their clothes were a bit skewed around their bodies, the waistband of Draco's boxers twisted a bit and the strap of her tank top fallen from her shoulder. The image was not one she would want any teacher to see, for fear of them getting the wrong ideas. Reluctantly, she moved from the circle of his arms. The smile on Draco's face turned into a small frown, and he reached out for Hermione. He groaned silently to find nothing there, and his eyes fluttered open to see the curtains of his bed slowly shutting.


	8. Having a Ball

Draco laid in bed the rest of the morning, taking in the smell Hermione had left behind and remembering the feeling of having her tucked in his arms. He sighed, reminded of the warmth and softness of her body, and rolled over onto his stomach. His head buried in his pillow, he did not hear his curtains being drawn open. Draco was, however, distinctly aware of the sudden flood of light in his bed.

"Ughhh..," he half-moaned, half-grumbled as he rolled over and held his hand over his eyes to block out the light.

There stood Hermione, showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and plain white shirt, barefoot on the carpet. A halo of light surrounded her head, illuminating the stray strands of hair that had escaped their curls. He took in a deep breath at the sight, feeling sure he had died and was being greeted by the very angel of God.

"Draco, we have a meeting with the prefects this afternoon. You had better get up and get ready."

Draco slowly sat up, stretching as he rose.

"Why, what time is it?"

"About noon. The prefects should be here in about an hour or so."

"What do we have to have a blasted meeting with them for anyhow?"

Hermione opened his windows, letting in the cool air still saturated with yesterday's rain. Sunlight streamed into the room with a small autumn tinged breeze, replacing the stale damp air of Draco's room. She walked around tidying up the room a little as she spoke.

"You know we have to meet with them pretty frequently to make decisions, and it's the first meeting of the school year. Anyway, I've got to go finish making my room up and then I'm going to clean up downstairs. You should neaten this place up a bit as well."

With that, Hermione walked back to the bathroom and shut the door.

"Like a house elf, she is," he muttered before grudgingly crawling out of bed.

Draco had only just gotten out of the shower and into his bedroom when he heard Hermione bustle into the bathroom and begin to clean up. While it certainly disgusted him that she was such a neat freak, he couldn't help but to also admire her sense of pride. Now he sat at the large desk, watching Hermione do some last minute arranging and waiting for the prefects to show up.

One by one a prefect from each house knocked on the portrait hole and were typically welcomed in by Hermione and grunted in by Draco. Hermione gave each one a short tour of the dorm area and naturally each one was shocked and amazed at the openness of the bedrooms and bathroom. Ginny, who was Gryffindor prefect, gave Hermione a small wink while telling her just how she would take advantage of the situation. Hermione was positively scandalized by Ginny's plan.

"Oh don't get me wrong, he's an absolute jerk, but I'd still sneak in one night and ravage him in all kinds of ways."

Hermione's jaw hit the floor.

After a short time all the prefects had shown up and the meeting had began. They talked about the small things, about the summer, about some things they'd like to tackle in the coming school year. An owl flew in the window, interrupting the meeting and bearing a small note. Hermione read it out loud.

_"Greetings to my Head Boy and Girl and to all the Prefects,_

Just a short note you may want to discuss during your meeting:

As you know, last year we held a ball and I must say it was rather successful. It encouraged business in Hogsmeade and got all the students to get along, if only for one night. In these times of war, the staff all feel that such an event would greatly benefit the morale of the students here. It is up to you, however, if you want to have such an event again. Please do let me know.

Professor Dumbledore"  
  
The Slytherin prefect rolled her eyes and plopped back into her seat while Ginny looked positively pleased. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff prefects, both male, exchanged looks that read with both secret excitement and feigned annoyance. Draco looked appalled.

"Oh another ball!" Ginny cooed. "The last one was just so much fun, I definitely feel we should have another."

The Slytherin prefect, Natalie, snorted. "A ball? It seems so frivolous and out of date. The last one was an absolute bore, I could hardly stay awake."

"Well, if the teachers think it's a good idea, I don't see why not. Let's take a vote." Hermione took out a piece of parchment to tally up the marks.

"Alright then, Natalie?"

"No, it's an awful idea." She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Gin?"

"Oh yes, absolutely!"

"Gryffindors," scoffed Natalie. She and Ginny shot daggers at each other.

"Alright well, then, what about you Paul?"

"Yea, sure, I guess," the Hufflepuff prefect shrugged and looked over at the Ravenclaw prefect. "What d'you think, Sean?"

"I don't see why not."

"Right then, well I personally think it's a good idea; Dumbledore had some good points and if the teachers think it will work then so do I. I guess that just leaves you, Draco."

He sighed. "Well I'm out numbered even if I do say no, so let's carry on with it then."

"Ok," Hermione looked around. "A ball it is then. Any ideas?"

"How about on Halloween? It's already a holiday, plus there'll be a few Hogsmeade weekends before then." Ginny folded her legs beneath her.

"Well, I think it ought to be for all the students, not just above a certain year. Get everyone included this time," said Sean.

"If we have it on Halloween, should it be a costume thing?"

"I think that's rather clichéd, personally," Natalie looked at Hermione, daring her to retort.

"Yea, I agree," began Draco. "However, most of the students would really like one, and another formal ball would be too much like last year. What I don't think we should do is assign costumes or play any sort of game with it."

"Oh why not!" cried Ginny. "I think it would be fun to have to find your partner by their matching costume."

"Yea, but what about the people that go solo?" Paul pointed out.

"Alright, so we have it on Halloween, all students can come, and it will be a costume ball?" Hermione asked. All the prefects agreed and Draco reluctantly nodded his head.

"Then it's all settled. See you guys in a few weeks when we'll really plan this thing."

Paul and Sean chatted animatedly as they left, and Natalie whispered something in Draco's ear while pointing up at his curtained room. She sulked out after he sternly told her to go back to her dorm. Ginny stayed behind to talk with Hermione for a few moments before finally heading back to Gryffindor tower.

"What did Natalie want?" Hermione gave Draco a mocking look and a knowing grin.

"Just a personal tour of my bedroom. Come on, let's go to dinner."

He took her hand in his and led her out of the portrait hole.


	9. Father Dearest

Hermione and Draco were surrounded by boxes in the common room of their dorms. They were filled with decorations for the dance the next day, from cages of live bats to boxes of "Madam Ghoul's Touch N' Go Streamers: with just a touch from your wand, these streamers flow through the air to make any party a magical occasion." There were boxes filled with exotic food mixes that were to be sent down to the kitchens for preparation just hours before the dance. All of these things had only just arrived by owl at ten o' clock on Friday evening, making it Draco and Hermione's job to sort everything out.

"You did owl the prefects to let them know the stuff was here, right?"

"Yes," Draco grumbled. "They know, but they all had some sort of excuse as to why they aren't able to help. They'll be here tomorrow afternoon to help set everything up in the Great Hall."

"Right, only when it'll be fun," mumbled Hermione as she tried to wrangle a loose bat back into its cage.

They continued working in a silent, grumpy manner, checking off the things on their list to make sure that everything had come. Draco had just finished checking off "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Canary Creams: New Flavors!" when a sleek black owl tapped at the window.

"Not another package!"

Hermione flung open the window, grumbling about last minute deliveries. The owl flew in past her, dropped a letter at Draco's feet, and flew back out again without even bothering for an owl treat. Draco picked up the piece of parchment and sat down in the nearest chair to read it. Hermione watched as Draco's face wrinkled in both thought and disgust. She wanted to know the contents of the letter so much that she was tempted to try and read over his shoulder, but sneaking and stealth were never her greatest skills. Draco rolled his eyes as he finished the letter, wrinkling it up in his hand and clenching his fist. Hermione couldn't resist.

"What is it?"

"Father wrote to tell me he's planning an attack with a few other exiled Death Eaters to show the ministry that they are still alive and not afraid."

"What! Why would he write to tell you that?" Hermione was shocked at Draco's careless attitude in the manner.

"Oh he writes me about these things all the time. Wants to show me that he's still a man, that he's no coward just hiding out until things are safe for him again. I think sometimes he hopes that I'll offer to help but most of the time he doesn't even go through with big plans like this. He's carried out a few minor things, but nothing serious."

"Well, does he give you any details about what he's planning?"

"Of course. I mean, obviously not too much or he risks giving himself away, but yea, a lot of the stuff is right here." He waved the crumpled letter carelessly in the air.

"Draco, turn that into Professor Dumbledore! You could stop his attacks!"

"What, and turn my Father in? I'm no stoolpidgeon Hermione. Besides I very much doubt he'll carry out anything of this magnitude anyway."

"Of this magnitude?" Hermione was floored. "What does that mean?"

"This is a much bigger plan than he usually makes. People could die with this. But like I said he never carries it out."

"Draco," Hermione's voice was low and concerned. "You should really turn this in to somebody. You could stop a serious attack!"

Draco knitted his brows together. "Now listen, I told you I'm not going to turn in my Father like this."

"Fine," Hermione stood up. "If you won't, then I will!"

She made a move towards Draco and reached for the letter. Draco, however, was faster than her and stood from his chair, moving toward the blazing fire. Quickly, he threw his father's letter into the flames and Hermione could only watch as the parchment curled up and turned into ashes. Furiously, she turned on Draco.

"I don't get you!" She cried. "You say you don't want to be like your dad, but you won't fight for what's right! You won't fight against the wrong your father is doing!"

"Who are you to say what's right and what's wrong?"

"Voldemort and his Death Eaters are wrong! They've killed innocent people, they're prejudiced against muggles, and they've never done one thing right in their lives! The Order, now they're the ones who've got it right. They are noble people fighting for the side of good! You just threw away a piece of evidence that could convict the side of evil, that could do something good. I don't understand, you could have gone to Dumbledore, and with you receiving information like that frequently you could be a spy for good!"

"I'm not going to take a side in this war Hermione."

"You have as good as chosen the dark side, Draco."

"And which side is dark and which is light? Yes, the Death Eaters have killed, but so has the Order!"

"Only as a last resort and only for the most serious of criminals! You remember the trolley witch on the Hogwart's Express? Her only children and grandchildren were murdered in cold blood just because they wouldn't give any information and now what has she got? Voldemort has ruined lives!"

"Yes, I agree that wasn't the best, but at least they were given a chance out! How hard would it have been to give information or try to help? Sometimes being brave and self-righteous will get you and your loved ones killed."

"How can you say that? How can you argue for the side of evil?"

"How can I say that?" His face turned grave. "You know Pansy Parkinson? She had a great family. A family of Slytherins, yes, and a family who had once associated with Voldemort in the beginning. I knew both her parents, had dinner at their house a few times. They had turned over a new leaf since Pansy was born. The moment they found out Mrs. Parkinson was expecting they backed out of the Death Eaters, which Voldemort allowed. You seem shocked that he would allow such a thing... but even Voldemort understood the value of a new baby; not from the standpoint of love and joy but from the standpoint of a future ally, a future Death Eater. He wanted that baby to have a chance to grow up in safety, and a Death Eater's life is not that kind of life. Mr. Parkinson was probably one of Voldemort's most eager followers. But that little girl, that new life changed his life and his attitude forever. He did not raise her in an environment that would encourage darkness in her, or light... but raised her the best way they knew how. They most respectfully told Voldemort that they could not promise him allegiance anymore, because their allegiance belonged to their child. All he asked of them was that they not take any action to turn in any Death Eater or tell any secrets, and for that he would allow them to raise their daughter in peace. If Pansy decided to be a Death Eater, then her parents would allow her to, because they believed in her choosing her own path. None of that was easy for them.

"You may wonder why I'm telling you all this. Now you will have your answer. The ministry knew of the Parkinsons' involvement with the Death Eaters, but a the court had long ago cleared their names. There was an attack in their town on a few muggles, an attack that had Death Eater written all over it. So do you know what the ministry did? Sent their aurors into the Parkinson manor with only one order: to kill. No questions were asked, no fair trial, not even so much as a warning. Pansy woke up to the sound of four aurors screaming the Unforgivable curse and a blinding green light that blew the door off to her parents' bedroom. She screamed and cried and cried and refused to let the Aurors take her away like they planned on doing, so they bound her up and took her against her will. They never let her see her parents, never gave them a proper burial. They found the REAL Death Eaters responsible a week later. Yet they never offered Pansy or her family any apology. For a long time she wasn't even allowed to live in her own home, she had to live with an auror's family until the ministry was satisfied that she was no evil child. She lives with her aunt now, and she's perfectly miserable.

"Do you think that makes her sympathetic to the side of 'light'? Or do you think that makes her hungry for revenge, do you think that it keeps her awake at night plotting everyway she can get compensation for her parents' murder?"

Hermione was stunned into silence.

"There are so many stories in Slytherin like Pansy's, Hermione. No one ever takes the time to listen; no one ever takes the time to maybe try to understand anyone in Slytherin. You want to talk about prejudice, Hermione? Ask someone in Slytherin how it feels to be looked at as purely evil, to be isolated from all the other houses just because of the occasional kid gone wrong. Every house has had one of those, yet you all manage to over look those bad seeds. Slytherin doesn't breed Death Eaters. HATRED and PREJUDICE breeds Death Eaters.

"And so we've learned to isolate ourselves. Learned that no one outside of Slytherin is trustworthy and so we've built our walls up higher and made our shells thicker. You can only handle being pushed aside for so long before you break.

"THAT is why I refuse to take a side. How can you say that either side is right, that either side is fighting for a good cause? There is no benefit in taking sides. You pit yourself against someone when you take sides, and that can only bring enemies and death. By taking a side, you are ultimately choosing death and misery."

Hermione finally found words. "But don't you feel in the least bit cowardly, not standing up for what you believe is right?"

"This is what I believe is right. Call it cowardly. I call it living."

"You know that what Voldemort is doing is wrong."

"And why is that? Because he kills innocent people? If you're going on that, Hermione, then you can also say that Dumbledore and his followers are just as wrong."

"Not Dumbledore… he's fighting for something good. Voldemort is just... he's evil."

"Hermione, if you can't let go of what you're being told to see that either side is capable of good or evil, then what's the point of having this conversation?"

Draco stood from his chair and made his way towards the stairs. He was fed up of Hermione's blindness and furiously climbed up to his room. Hermione quickly stood and followed him.

"Draco, wait."

"I thought you were smarter than this Hermione, I thought you were more capable of free thought." He was storming towards his room, but Hermione was close behind him.

"Draco, don't go like this." She grabbed his hand desperately as he reached to fling his curtain open. "Please," she whispered.

Draco turned around, his anger melting away at the sight of her pleading eyes. He was so close, so intoxicatingly close. Without thought, he let go of the green curtain and slowly reached up to touch the side of her face. His fingertips barely grazed her cheek as he moved his hand to cup her face. Hermione's eyes fluttered for a moment, then shut as Draco tucked her soft hair behind her ear.

He looked at her for almost a minute, unable to tear his eyes away or to move his hand. Then a need took over Draco, a need that had existed for nearly a year. Without any further hesitation, he leaned down and captured Hermione's lips with his own. She let out a small gasp of surprise, but moved her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her. He let his now free hand rest on her hip as Hermione moved into the kiss. While the kiss had started out full of passion and need, it softened into a slow, romantic kiss that told either one all they needed to know. There was love between them, and it was no longer deniable. The emotions and electricity between them intensified to the point where Hermione could no longer handle it. She quickly pulled back from Draco, leaving his arms empty.

"I...um, it's late, we've got a busy day tomorrow, see you in the morning!"

Before Draco could even reply, the curtain to Hermione's room was shut. He reached up and touched his lips where he could still feel Hermione's soft lips against his own.

"Yea...in the morning..."

Draco crawled into bed, and for a long time he was unable to sleep because of the thoughts rushing through his head.


	10. Quite The Predicament

The next morning, Hermione didn't leave her room for anything. Draco had waited for her to go down to breakfast until even he missed out on eating. He went down to the kitchen and gathered whatever was leftover, bringing some for Hermione as well. She wouldn't come out, so he slid it under her curtain.

Hermione sat on the floor and stared at the napkin with a few strips of bacon and a piece of buttered toast. She looked up at the curtain and heard Draco's retreating steps. She cast her glance back down at the still warm toast and with a sigh she picked it up and took a small bite. Her hunger was beginning to cry louder than her thoughts and she took her time finishing the food before tossing the napkin in the fire.

For a moment, she thought about crawling back into bed and not waking up for a few more hours. Then, she took one look at her pajamas and decided to take a long hot shower. She walked into the bathroom and saw Draco's door was open. Worse than that, she saw that Draco was sitting on his bed.

"Good morning, Hermione."

She only heard "Good mor-" before she reached out and shut his door.

"Well aren't we cheerful this morning," frowned Draco as he continued his reading.

Hermione turned the water on as hot as she could bear it, letting the water wash over her. She sat on the floor of the shower, leaning back against the wall and shutting her eyes. The kiss. It haunted her sleep last night and it haunted her thoughts today. There was so much in that kiss, so much that kiss had awakened in her, so much that was missing in Ron's kiss. What didn't make sense before made sense now, it flew in the face of her logic. But she couldn't let it be real.

After a while, her skin was wrinkled, the water had turned cold, and there was a knocking at the door.

"Hermione? Hermione, are you ok in there?"

She snapped out of her daze and stood up.

"Yea, I'm alright."

"You've been in there for nearly half an hour, the prefects should be getting here pretty soon."

"What time is it?"

"11:45"

"Oh my gosh!" Hermione quickly showered and by the time she got out it was five till noon. She put on an old pair of jeans and an old long sleeve shirt and quickly pulled her wet hair back into a sloppy ponytail. The prefects were waiting downstairs, pawing through the sorted piles of party stuff as she walked down the steps. Their job was to wait until the Great Hall had cleared out from lunch and then spend the afternoon decorating. They passed the hour by dividing jobs and finalizing plans.

At five after one, the whole group headed down with their hands full, talking in small groups excitedly. Once they were in the Great Hall, they used a mixture of magic and old fashioned elbow grease to get the place ready. All the prefects set off to clear out the long tables and to mop up the room, leaving Draco and Hermione alone with each other.

"Hermione, I-"

"Oh look, I think we should take down the house banners so people can forget about house allegiances for one night."

"I agree. Listen, Herm-"

"And Hagrid has brought in his pumpkins, so I think we should leave a few on the ground for effect."

"Oh sure. I just wanted to talk about last-"

"So much to do! Well, I'd better get started." Hermione picked up a few boxes of Touch N' Go Streamers and a cage of live bats and walked briskly away from Draco.

"Yea, well, I'm glad we had this little chat," Draco muttered to the empty air where Hermione once stood. He took the box filled with food and recipes down to the kitchen to instruct the elves what to do.

When he got back upstairs, loads of tiny, intimate tables had been set up and Hermione was up on a ladder trying to set up a few party decorations when a flock of bats flew by, knocking her off balance. Draco hurried to the bottom of the ladder and caught her just in time. He kept her in his arms for a few moments.

"Careful."

"Thank you," she muttered, her cheeks red as she quickly fought out of his arms.

Sooner than they had thought, the Great Hall was decorated and ready for the ball. All of the prefects as well as the Head Boy and Girl were grimy and sweaty from all their hard work. They all rushed back to their dorms to join the rest of their peers in getting ready for what was sure to be the greatest party of the year.

Draco was ready at half past seven. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of dressing up for the ball, but after a lot of thought he decided on a costume. Most of the muggle girls he had talked to about what was hot told him all about this Legolas from a movie called Lord of the Rings. Now, Draco had read the books and scoffed at what J.R.R Tolkien called an elf, but the girls thought he was the hottest thing around which Draco thought fit him best.

So he was waiting at the bottom of the steps, his blond hair tied back from his face. He was dressed in earthy colors with a dark green cloak around his shoulders, held in place with an ivy brooch. He strapped a bow and arrows onto his back for effect, but decided that they would come off shortly into the dance.

"Hermione," he glanced at his watch. "Let's go, we're supposed to be there early."

Hermione's curtain parted and when Draco caught sight of her, his jaw dropped. Gone was the innocent little girl look he was so accustomed to. He wasn't sure what she was supposed to be, but she looked very hot.

Hermione was wearing a pair of emerald green hot pants that were very sparkly and had scarves hanging off the sides. On top she had a tight green top pieced together with rhinestones that bared both her navel and her cleavage. She put on a very eye catching fake belly button ring to tie the look together. She wore a pair of tan suede boots that were embroidered with snakes. Her hair had been tamed into loose, relaxed curls that looked very soft and very sexy.

"What?" she asked innocently as Draco continued to stare.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Britney Spears... she's this muggle singer. Plus I liked the look. It's... different for me."

"It's very... Slytherin."

"Yea I guess so. Shall we be going then?"

The dance was a complete success. It was great to see all the students laughing and having fun together, forgetting house lines. Everyone was dancing and all the costumes were great. About half way into the dance, a slow song came on that Hermione was very familiar with. Draco came over to her.

"Would you like to dance?" She nodded and accepted his hand.

"Did you request this song?"

"Request it?" Draco grinned. "I gave him the CD to play. I know you love Coldplay, so I decided that he should play it."

She smiled, then bit her lip. "I heard you playing this song one night." It was _"In My Place."_

"Did you?" he tried to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

"Yea," she looked into his eyes. "It was really good."

"Was it?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Almost as good as..." Her voice trailed off as they both leaned into a kiss.

Once again their lips met, this time soft and tender, but short. It was no friendly kiss, and all those who could see them stopped dead in their tracks. After they broke apart they stared into each others eyes, oblivious to the scene that was going on around them. Draco's eyes flickered upwards and he backed away from Hermione.

"What? Draco, what?" She followed his glare behind her where her eyes met Ron's very pissed off ones.

"Hermione, my dear... I think it's time we had a little chat."

She turned back to look helplessly at Draco, her face full of fear. Ron grabbed her arm and proceeded to drag her out of the Great Hall.

"Ron, I want to stay for the whole dance," she meekly protested.

But Ron wasn't listening.


	11. It Can't Get Any Worse

Ron pulled Hermione out of the big doors and out into the cold autumn air. Her outfit was not designed to be worn in this cold of temperatures, and she shivered in both fear and chill.

"Ron, can't we talk about this inside? It's cold."

Ron didn't respond but instead just jerked her along faster.

"Ron please! I'm not dressed for this."

He stopped dead in his tracks and started to laugh. But this wasn't the laugh that Hermione was used to. This laugh was cold and forced and altogether evil. Hermione shivered again.

"Not dressed for this? More like not dressed at all!" With another snort of laughter, he continued to pull her further and further away from the castle. They came to a dead stop in the shadows of the Quidditch pitch.

"What...the... BLOODY HELL...was...going...on...in...there?" His voice was dangerously low. Hermione was too scared to respond.

"ANSWER ME!"

"It was nothing Ron, it just happened!"

"Just happened. I wasn't born yesterday, Hermione! I know the two of you have been messing around behind my back!"

"No, Ron, I-"

"You stupid SKANK!" He slapped her face hard. Her hand flew up to her face as she gingerly touched the stinging cheek.

"Ron, no, nothing is going on between Draco and me."

"Right. Like you having been screwing his brains out in your cozy little dorm while I spend night after night by myself, thinking about you. How could you Hermione?"

"I'm not! Ronald, listen to me -"

"I hope you burn in HELL!" This time he backhanded her, nailing her other cheek just as hard.

"Stop it!"

"What's he got that I haven't got? Huh? Is it his bank account? His power? Or does he just give it to you real good?"

Hermione was offended. "He's not 'giving it to me' at all."

He shoved her and she landed on the ground with a thud. The ground was slick with dew and Hermione shivered once more in the wet and cold. His face was now close to hers and she could smell alcohol.

"Ron, have you been drinking?"

"So what if I have? Doesn't matter."

"You don't know what you're saying, let's talk about this tomorrow." Ron ignored her.

"Thought you were saving it. Well, now that you're giving it out like some whore, I guess I'd better get mine." He held her down on the ground and began roughly pulling at her clothes.

"Ron, no, stop it!"

"Why? It's mine, Hermione, I'm going to get what's owed." He managed to pull her top down on one side, revealing one side of her chest. He tried to get the other side down as well.

"Ron, no, please, don't!" She struggled against him, trying to get her top back up and get out from under him.

"Its ok, you're going to like it. I'm sure Draco gives it to you rough and you like it from him don't you?"

"No! Stop it, STOP IT!" Her top was down; Ron tore one of the straps to finally reveal what he was looking for. He then went after her pants.

"HELP ME!" She struggled harder against him, but she knew her cries were helpless because they were so far out.

"Shut up!" He slapped her so hard this time it made her head spin.

"Ow!" She cried out in pain and began to sob uncontrollably. Suddenly it was as if the real Ron had awoken. He stopped all that he was doing and quickly backed away from Hermione.

"I...oh, God." He stood up and stared frightfully down at what he'd done. She tried to adjust her top but she couldn't keep it up and she was shivering uncontrollably. He threw his cloak at her.

"Here, you'd better go inside and get warmed up. For God's sake, quit crying."

He turned to walk away, but didn't get a few feet before turning back for one last thing.

"Don't tell anyone about this Hermione, ok? Just... we'll talk tomorrow."

She sat in the dark and shivered endlessly, tears streaming down her cheeks until she thought she was dried out. She had never, ever seen Ron in such a manner. She ran back to her dorm, trying to avoid any students along the way. As she climbed into the portrait hole, she noticed Draco sitting on the couch. Hermione tried her best to avoid him.

"Hermione!" He called out to her. "Listen can we talk?"

"Not… not now, ok?"

"No," he stood up quickly from the couch. "No we'll talk right now. I'm so sick of this Hermione!"

She stopped on the staircase, keeping her back to him. He took no notice of anything that was wrong.

"I'm sick of this, sick of the games, sick and TIRED of you changing your mind all the time! One moment you're hot, your flirty with me, you CARE about me and the next minute you're the bloody ICE QUEEN to be, giving me the cold shoulder. I can't handle it! I can't take your constant hot and cold, your temperature changes, your constant mind changes! Sometimes it makes me so aggravated I could-"

"Hit me!" she asked, her voice dangerously strained. "Well you might as well think of something else, because I'm afraid Ron's - if you'll excuse the expression - beaten you to that!"

She whirled around, flinging Ron's coat to the ground. For the first time, Draco noticed the tear stains on her face, the blue tint to her lips, and most of all the red handprints across her face. There were scratches where Ron had tried to rip off her top and where he had roughly handled her. The torn strap fell to her top, revealing her breast to Draco, and he took notice of the rips and tears all over her outfit. He cast his eyes away.

"No look. Draco, look at me! God knows Ron's taken advantage of his situation, why don't you?" She began to sob all over again and collapsed on the stairs. He picked up a throw blanket from the couch and wrapped her broken figure up in it.

"Because I'm not like Ron," he whispered, "and you know it."

She curled into him, grabbing onto him as though he was life itself.

"Yea, I know."

"Listen," he murmured in her ear. "Why don't you go up there, take a hot bath, change into something comfortable, and then you can come talk to me if you want to."

She nodded, and reluctantly removed herself from his arms. Before she got up to leave, she placed a feather light kiss on his cheek. "Playing the savior again," she whispered.

Draco sat on the couch downstairs absolutely fuming. What he wouldn't give to beat Weasley's red haired ass right then. But he knew that being there for Hermione was more important than killing some foolish punk. He couldn't be certain what had happened, but his imagination went wild at what could have occurred between the two of them.

Hermione came down stairs, calmer than before after the long bath she had taken. She scrubbed every inch of her body, trying to rid herself of the dirty feeling left by Ron. Finally, she felt as satisfied as she would and climbed into a pair of her most worn pajamas. She had debated whether or not she would talk to Draco, but she knew he would be curious and that his imagination must have been running wild with possibilities.

She sat down next to Draco with a sigh. He pulled her closer into his body, and Hermione rested her head on his shoulder as she told Draco everything that had happened that night. When she was finished, Draco told her how sorry he was and how much he wished he could have helped.

"And when I said you aggravated me, I wasn't going to say that I wanted to hit you. I was going to say I could scream."

"I know," she nuzzled into him. "I was just so upset."

"Well, it can only get better right?"

"I hope so. This has been the worst night ever. How could it get any worse?"

Just then, the portrait hole opened and Professor Dumbledore crawled in, followed by Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape.

"Professors, what are you doing here so late?" Draco could see the concern on all their faces.

"Miss Granger, we've come to talk to you. I'm afraid we have something grave to discuss."

Draco stood. "Well, I'll just go up to my dorm then."

"No Mister Malfoy, you'd better stay. It involves you too."


	12. It Gets Worse

"What is it, Professor?"

"Ah well... I wish this were easier, Hermione. Please, make yourselves more comfortable."

Draco and Hermione exchanged worried looks. Professors don't make late night visits about trivial matters. Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore sat down on the couch facing the two teens and none of them looked very happy.

"Now, Hermione," the Headmaster began, the twinkle absent from his eye. "Were your parents on vacation?"

"Yes, in London, visiting my grandparents. Why?"

"That's very much what I was afraid of. You see, we've just received news from the Ministry about a very serious attack just inside of that area. It seems that the Death Eaters have been developing a sort of wizard bomb… something like a mass Unforgivable Curse that will kill all the muggles within a certain radius. They set it off at a restaurant that was fairly new on the edge of London."

"Well my grandparents live inside the heart of London, so my parents are ok, right?"

There was no reply as the professors exchange glances.

"I'm afraid not. Hermione, your parents... well their names are reported among the victims. I guess they decided to try out this place while they were in the area and they were right next to the bomb when it went off. Their bodies were identified by wizard intelligence to be your parents, and their bodies are in St. Mungo's."

Hermione looked at all of them incredulously.

"No, no they're at home with my grandparents, they're asleep right now. Why would they go out? No, no, they're fine." She shook her head. "They're fine, they have to be."

Professor McGonagall spoke up. "Dear, I know this can't be easy for you, but I'm afraid your parents have passed on. We've come to take you to St. Mungo's, your grandparents are there. You need to be with family and you'll be excused from your classes for the funeral."

"There isn't going to BE a funeral," Hermione cried frantically. "Don't you understand they're ok? They're OK!"

Draco pulled her into his arms. "Hermione, listen, I know you must be hurting right now but don't make this any harder for yourself. They're gone."

"No!" She sobbed. "They can't be, they can't be! I didn't get to say goodbye! No, no, they can't leave me, they can't!" Her body was once again doubling over in sobs. Draco held her trembling body in his strong arms, kissing her head.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. We can floo you to St. Mungo's in my office."

"My parents, my parents," she murmured. "Mom, dad, please come back, come back!"

It broke Draco's heart to hear her cries of desperation.

"Who is going to be there on my graduation? Who is going to walk me down the aisle? Who can I do to for advice about my kids? They'll never get to see me grow up, get to see their grandchildren." She was whispering to herself between the sobs, breaking her own heart and Draco's.

"I'm sorry...Professor you said this involved me, though, and I don't see how."

Snape spoke up. "Draco, you know your father had Death Eater involvement."

He nodded, his stomach sinking like lead.

"Well, he was the one who has been thinking up this device. It seems he's been spending his time in exile concocting this thing. He got it to work, and he planned this attack tonight. He gathered up a few other Death Eaters that were in hiding and talked them into this attack. He just... he lingered too long at the sight. They all did. So the Ministry has them in custody and they're going to be convicted."

"So my dad is in jail."

"I... well I can't lie to you, Draco. You know you are like my own son. I'm afraid your Father got in the crossfire between the Aurors and Death Eaters. He's one of the victims that died tonight."

"Killed by Auror or Death Eater?"

"Auror. Quick to the wand when he showed up on the sight."

"So what you are saying is that Lucius Malfoy essentially killed my parents." Hermione looked at Professor Snape.

"Well... yea. If you look at it like that."

"Oh God," Draco's eyes got wide as he remembered the letter he received from his dad. "Oh God, Hermione... I am so sorry."

"Why?" She looked up at him. "It was your father, not you..." she trailed off as she looked into his eyes. The realization hit her harder than the news about her parents.

"Oh my God, Draco...don't tell me...no, no!" She stood up and fought against his efforts to keep her down. Hermione started sobbing all over again.

"What, what is it?" The professors were all confused over what had just happen.

"Nothing, I'm ready to go."

"Draco, you are welcome to come to St. Mungo's as well. Your mother is probably there."

"Yes." Draco stood, visibly shaken and upset over his father and over what happened.

They went to Dumbledore's office where the two teens flooed to St. Mungo's. Draco's mother was in the waiting room while Hermione's grandparents were in a special muggle area. She turned away from Draco, not muttering a goodbye. He grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Hermione... don't go like this. I'm sorry."

She could only shake his hand away and glare through her tears.

"I've got to go, I've got my parents bodies to identify."

"Hermione... Hermione!"

He helplessly watched as the girl he loved walked away from him.


	13. Confessionals

It was only a week later, but the tension between Draco and Hermione left a stony silence over their dorm. Draco sat on the couch, still dressed in his black suit even though he'd been back from his father's funeral for over two hours. It had been small, with very few people attending. He had been the one chosen to give the eulogy. Even he had to admit that it was a charming speech: it was short and it brushed over all the wrongdoings of Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater, and focused on all the good qualities possessed by Lucius Malfoy, husband and father. Draco had been furious with his father for what he had done, but even that couldn't erase the ties between father and son. More importantly, he was furious with himself, knowing that he could have saved Hermione pain.

This is how Draco was sitting, deeply engrossed in his thoughts and staring into the dying fire when Hermione crawled through the portrait hole. Though her eyes were bloodshot, she still looked stunning in a simple black dress covered by a long black wool coat. She hadn't bothered much with her hair, pulling half of it back away from her tearstained face. Draco wanted so badly to reach out to her, to tell her he was sorry. She wouldn't even look in his direction as she made her way towards her room. The situation was getting desperate.

"Hermione, can't we talk?"

"There isn't anything to talk about," she replied tersely.

"The hell there isn't!" He jumped up from the couch and followed her as she ascended the stairs.

"I think everything has been said that needs to be: my parents are dead, as well as about a hundred other muggles, and all of that at your dad's hand. And you knew it, knew it was coming, and did nothing to stop it. End of conversation."

"No, not end of conversation. I'm tired of you walking around here like you're the only one who has lost family, like you're the only one suffering. I can't stand the silence between us anymore. We went from being extremely close to being worse off than we were last year! I'd rather you be flinging insults at me than treating me like I don't exist!"

Hermione flung the curtain to her room shut, but Draco just followed her inside.

"Draco! For God's sake, leave me alone!"

"You're not going to shut me out anymore! You're not going to pretend like nothing has happened between the two of us, like nothing has happened this past week!"

She turned on him.

"And why not? Why can't I pretend that nothing has happened, when you walk around here like a damn zombie, no emotions, not a single tear shed for anything that's happened. You'd think you'd even try to offer me an apology, try to offer someone an apology, but I guess for the hundredth time I've misjudged your character. You are still the prideful, arrogant Malfoy that everyone thinks you are!"

For what seemed like an eternity they stood there, glaring each other down, neither daring to say a word in their fuming anger. Finally, Draco found the words he needed.

"I...I understand that you have been under a lot of stress and that you are going through a lot. But, have you ever stopped to think that maybe I've been going through a lot as well? Hermione, my father is responsible for the murders of so many muggles I couldn't possibly keep count. I can't ignore that, I can't disregard that. But none of those murders change the fact that he was my father. I've told you before, he wasn't the best father, or the best man, but I am still his flesh and blood. And I lost him. I never got the chance to tell him all the things I needed to say. And on top of all that, on top of losing my father, I could have stopped the murder of your parents and countless other people."

"That's right. And you didn't. You knew exactly what your father was going to do, and yet you were too cowardly to turn him in."

"No. I told you that my father often wrote about what he was planning. But I also told you that he never gave me too many details. He said in his letter that he was planning an attack on Halloween. He told me in many of his letters that he was working on something big, something that would really shock the ministry. And I told you that he never carried out these so called big plans. So yes I could have stopped the attack, only in the way that I could have told them where my father was."

"Ok. And you didn't. So if you're looking for excuses or sympathy, you're looking in the wrong place."

"What do you want from me? Do you want blood? Do you want to see me laid out in a morgue like your parents?"

Hermione was horrified.

"No! But you think you'd try to apologize, and you haven't because you're too prideful."

"FINE! For god's sake, Hermione, I'm sorry! I would think I wouldn't have to say that, but I'm sorry. You know I'd never try to cause you any pain. All I've ever wanted was to keep you away from pain, to make you happy!"

Draco began to cry, tears that had been held back for a week. Tears that he had been looking for since his father passed flowed freely, as if the only source of his emotions was found in Hermione. She was the key to his joy, his happiness, his freedom from the name Malfoy, and to turn her back to him was the same as putting a knife through him.

"You say that I haven't cried, that I'm heartless. I've been trying to cry, I've wanted to cry! All this week I've wanted to take you in my arms and cry with you, no, to cry for you, to take away all of your pain and make it my own, but you won't let me! You refuse to let me in, you've been refusing to let me in all this time now! I'm sorry for what my dad did, I'm sorry for what I did. But you know, you know inside of your heart that I would have done anything to save your parents, and that I'd do anything to keep you away from pain. But I've failed. I've failed, and for that I am the most sorry."

He collapsed in sobs on the nearest armchair. Hermione stood, silent tears flowing down her cheeks, her hand covering her mouth. She kneeled down in front of him.

"Oh Draco, I'm the one who should be sorry. I knew that you were going through pain, but I... I was so wrapped up in my own misery I didn't want to think about anyone else. Maybe you should have turned him in but… oh it wasn't fair to blame you. You're not your dad, I know that."

"So you believe me then? You trust me when I tell you that I would do anything to make you happy?"

"Yes, but I don't understand why."

He looked up, his eyes meeting hers for the first time in a week. He reached down, stroking the tears off her cheeks.

"I think you do."

She shook her head, never removing her eyes from his gaze, mesmerized by his soft silver eyes. He looked down at the floor for a moment, taking in a deep breath. Then he looked back into her eyes, his voice barely above a whisper, and gave her his reply.

"Because I love you."

Hermione stood up, the words overwhelming her. She shook her head a few times, shutting her eyes against the truth on Draco's face.

"I-I can't do this right now. I'm going to go... I've got to talk to Harry."

With that, she threw her coat to the floor and walked out of the room without a second glance. Draco sat, staring at where Hermione had been kneeling until he heard the portrait hole slam shut. He stood up and walked to his room, not bothering to undress before climbing into bed. It was still late afternoon, but Draco wanted to be alone. He was lying in bed, replaying the conversation, and when he got to the end he chuckled. It was a sarcastic, dry snort of laughter not born of humor, but of despair. How could he have ever thought Hermione would say it back to him?

"You're a fool, Draco Malfoy. A damn fool."


	14. Wisdom

Hermione looked everywhere for Harry, but no one seemed to know where he was. Finally, she found him in the back corner of the library, engrossed in a pile of books. She leaned against a nearby bookshelf, watching as Harry pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and debating whether or not she was going to disturb him. She didn't have to decide, however, as Harry looked up to see who was watching him.

"'Mione!" Harry stood up and walked over to Hermione, embracing her in a deep hug.

"Oh Hermione, I've been so worried about you," he whispered in her ear. "I heard about your parents. I'm so sorry. I would have gone to the funeral with you had you asked."

"I - I know. I just, I guess I needed to be alone."

"I can see you just got back," he said, holding her at arm's length and looking at her mourning clothes and tearstained face.

"I've been back for a while, actually."

"How was it?" Harry took Hermione's hand and led her over to the couch where he had been studying.

"Oh Harry... it was beautiful. I mean, it was awful, because it just finalized everything. But I've never seen a better funeral. The flower arrangements were very nice, and my family was all there, and all their friends. It was lovely." She brushed a tear from her cheek. "I miss them so much, Harry. I can't imagine what you must go through everyday."

Harry pulled Hermione into another hug.

"It gets easier. For you it might take longer. I barely knew my parents; you've had seventeen years with yours. Just… just remember all the good times you had with them. And don't forget that they are still with you. They raised you to be a magnificent woman, Hermione, and because of that you will always have them."

She sniffled and nodded against his shoulder.

"But," he began, letting go of her, "enough of this sad talk. I feel like we haven't talked in forever, Hermione, why don't you tell me how things are going with you, besides your parents?" He smiled at her.

"I'm not sure where to begin."

"Well," he looked apprehensive to bring up the subject, "what about the ball? You did a great job with that, and looked like you had a - a nice time." His smile faltered.

"Did Ron tell you what happened, Harry?"

At this, Harry's smile disappeared and in its place was a concerned frown.

"Yea... yea he did. He came in after he disappeared, shaking like a leaf. He smelled like alcohol, and he looked mussed up. I asked him - I said, 'Ron, what happened to you, why do you smell like alcohol?' And then he said something about partying with Lavender and a few other people before the ball, something about a flask - he mumbled most of it. Well the common room was cleared out, so I led him down there because he was too anxious to be up in the dorms. He kept dropping things, he was shaking so much. I sat him down and went down to the kitchen to get him some hot tea.

"I came back, and he drank the tea, and that calmed him down a little bit. I slipped some of Seamus' sobering potion into it. I asked him again what happened, and he started sort of rocking himself back and forth. He said, 'Oh God, Harry, I've screwed up.' That's when he told me everything that happened." Harry looked at Hermione, his face sympathetic.

"What did you say?"

"Say?" Harry snorted. "I didn't SAY much of anything. I punched him. Hard. In the jaw. I glared at him for a few moments while he held his jaw, trying not to do anything too stupid. Then I started reaming him out. I told him how stupid he was, asked him how he could do something like that, and called him just about every name imaginable. He started crying. I told him that I agreed with him, that he did screw up. That he owed you a big apology."

"I hardly think that any apology Ron has to offer is good enough to make up for this one."

"Oh yea, I agree but... but he did say something else. I thought maybe the alcohol hadn't worn off yet, but some other people say they saw it too..." He trailed off, almost afraid to ask.

"What? Saw what?"

"Well…saw you... kissing Malfoy." He gave a forced laugh. "But that is absurd, right?"

Hermione looked down at her lap.

"Right?" Harry craned his neck, trying to meet Hermione's eyes.

"Not completely absurd," she replied meekly.

"So you did kiss him?"

"Yea," she said, letting out a deep breath. "But it just happened, it didn't mean anything."

It was Harry's turn to let out a heavy sigh.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yea, I mean of course I'm sure."

"I'm not so sure I agree, Hermione."

"Why would you say that?" She looked up at Harry in surprise.

"Hermione, for the longest time I've had my suspicions."

At this Hermione's eyes widened and she opened her mouth as if to say something.

"No, no wait. Listen to me before you say anything." She shut her mouth.

"Like I was saying, I've had my suspicions. Ever since you and Malfoy acted so friendly towards each other. You said you saw another side of him, that he wasn't so bad of a guy. At first I agreed more with Ron... that he was pulling something. But then...I don't remember really when I first noticed it, maybe that night that we all got into that fight. I just remember watching the two of you together and seeing the look in his eyes - it was so different from the look he usually has. I just knew, I could tell, he was falling in love with you. Every time he's around you, he's enamored by you. Call it manly instinct or whatever, but Hermione - he's in love with you, and he has been for a long time."

Hermione sat silent for a minute, sighed, and then looked down at her lap.

"I know. He just… he just told me that he loves me."

"And what do you think about that?"

"I - I don't really know."

"Hermione," he smiled at her, "I've been friends with you long enough to know when you're lying."

"I'm not lying!" she protested.

"Well…I'm not so sure about that either. Please, don't be mad at me for saying this. The look that I saw so prominent in Malfoy's eyes - it's there in your eyes too, shining back at him. I've seen it so many times. You are just as in love with him as he is with you."

She sputtered a few times, starting sentences of protest that never got finished. Then she took a deep breath and gave Harry a sad smile.

"You know me all too well. I- I love Draco, Harry."

He nodded.

"I thought so. So, why not do something about it?"

"It doesn't make sense. He and I are so different."

"Love isn't supposed to make sense, Hermione. Love is supposed to make you feel all crazy and confused, because it's not a simple thing. I think you ought to tell him."

"I'm not so sure."

"Well, it's obviously your decision. I'll be here for you no matter what happens."

She leaned over and hugged him.

"Thanks Harry," she said pulling back. She chuckled. "When did you get so wise?"

"I was born wise," he replied with a smile.

Hermione and Harry continued talking until Madam Pince threw them out, and Hermione went back to her dorm with a clearer mind.


	15. Everything Changes

Draco would have been perfectly content to lie in that bed for the rest of the school year. He was tired in spirit, but that wasn't enough to put him to sleep. So instead of a dreamless slumber, he was forced to settle upon staring up at the curtains of his bed and trying to think of anything but Hermione. He didn't know how long he'd been laid up that way - hours, maybe days even. Truthfully, he didn't care how long he had been that way, just that he was there. Draco was just beginning to feel sorry for himself all over again when there was a knock at the portrait hole.

"Bugger it," he said, rolling over onto his stomach. The person at the door, however, wasn't going away any time soon.

"Oh, bloody hell," Draco groaned as he climbed out of bed and went to go answer the door.

If he thought what he was going to find outside that portrait hole would cheer him up, he was painfully mistaken. Standing there, stupid grin plastered all over her porcelain face, was none other than Karissa. Draco grunted in disgust, rolled his eyes, and turned around, slamming the portrait hole shut behind him. Karissa put her hand in the way just in time, and let herself into the dorms.

"Draco, why haven't you changed from the funeral? That was hours and hours ago!"

"Karissa, why haven't you gotten a bloody clue and left?" Draco didn't even turn to face her as he climbed back up the stairs towards his room. She would not be turned away that easily.

"Your mum and my mum both sent me letters saying that maybe I should come take care of you, so I figured that those were my clues to come see you. Why don't you get changed?"

"I don't need your help Karissa." She giggled.

"Well I wasn't going to offer to help you change." She suddenly ran in front of Draco, blocking the doorway to his room and lowering her voice to what she obviously meant as a seductive tone.

"But if you need any other kind of help, you just please let me know."

Draco pushed her out of the doorway, at which point she lost her balance and fell to the floor with a thud. She scowled as she got up, rubbing her butt as she wandered into Draco's room. He was standing in front of his open wardrobe without a shirt and his funeral clothes were rumpled on the floor. He had put on a different pair of pants, but couldn't find the shirt he was looking for.

"Listen, Draco you've been through a lot. As a way of thanking you for all of your tutoring, I thought I'd offer a little... stress relief."

"Karissa, what are you- " Draco had turned around to find Karissa trying to strike sexy poses, dressed in only her pink and white polka dotted bra and undies. Her lavender shirtdress lay on top of his funeral clothes.

"My God, cover yourself," he groaned as he leaned over her and tried to cover her up with his sheets.

Karissa resisted, mistaking his move for a come on, and she backed up further onto her bed. Draco followed her, and the ensuing tussle resulted in a tangle of limbs and sheets. Karissa grabbed Draco's face and pulled him in for a kiss.

This was, unfortunately, the scene that Hermione walked in on.

"Draco?" She pulled his curtain aside. "I just wanted to - oh. Oh, jeez, umm... hey Karissa."

"Hi," she giggled, waving her fingers from behind Draco's shoulder.

"Sorry for interrupting." Hermione turned around, letting the curtains fall shut.

"No, Hermione, wait," Draco cried while trying to untangle himself from the mess. "Put your clothes back on, NOW," he hissed at Karissa, "then GET OUT!"

He rushed into Hermione's room.

"Hermione, it's really not what it looks like, honestly."

"I understand, you just said what you did earlier because of all the emotions that you were feeling, I'm not about to hold it against you." She paused.

"Besides, it's not like you and I make much sense anyway. You and I are from completely separate worlds, it wouldn't have worked."

"Hermione, listen -"

"Draco, could you... well, could you unzip this for me? It's catching, and I'm not exactly a contortionist."

She held her breath as he slowly moved towards her, cautiously taking her zipper and carefully undid it. His pulse raced as he saw her pale and graceful back, and his breath caught as his fingers accidentally brushed against her soft skin. She sucked in a short amount of air as she felt the contact.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're - you're welcome," he softly replied.

She turned around and faced him, and they both stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment. Then Hermione looked away with a small cough, and Draco snapped back into reality.

"I'm just going to go. Good night."

"Goodnight," she nodded as she replied.

After he left, she shimmied out of her dress and changed into a warm pair of pajamas. A knock at her window startled her, and she let the familiar snowy owl inside. She rubbed Hedwig's beak, fed her a treat, and took the letter from her leg.

_"Hermione,_

How did it go? Did you tell him or not?

-Harry"

She sat down at her desk and wrote on the back of Harry's letter.

_"Harry,_

It would seem that you were incorrect. Draco doesn't really love me, whatever occurred between us was probably just lust or some crazy sort of crush. Sorry to disappoint. Tell Ron I want to talk to him tomorrow. Thanks.

-Hermione"

"Here you go, Hedwig," she cooed as she tied the letter to Hedwig's leg.

She watched the owl fly away towards Gryffindor tower, and she wished with all of her being that she could still be there. She missed the times that she shared in that dorm, and she would have given anything to be back there, a year earlier, before Draco, before her parents' death, before everything got so complicated.


	16. Nothing Changes

Harry stared aghast at Hermione's letter. There was no way she could want to talk to Ron, it was just not possible. He knew something must have happened to make her doubt her feelings for Draco, and now she was going to take Ron back. He knew how this story went. Ron was his friend, but Harry couldn't stand the way he treated women. With a heavy sigh, he got up from his bed and went to throw Hermione's note into the dying fire in the common room.

Ron looked up from the couch. Harry was descending the staircase with a piece of parchment in his hand. Ron's curiosity was piqued.

"Hey, Harry," he whispered from the couch. "What are you doing up so late?"

Harry froze at the bottom of the steps. What the devil was Ron doing up?

"I should be asking you the same thing. I thought you were asleep?"

"Couldn't sleep. Haven't really been able to sleep much lately. What about you?"

"Oh... well I just..." Harry looked down at Hermione's note, hoping for an excuse.

"Wait! I recognize that handwriting, its Hermione's. What's it say, anything about me?" Ron started to reach for the note, but Harry's seeker reflexes were quicker, and he tossed the note into the flames.

"No... well... yes, it did. She - she wants you to meet with her tomorrow, she wants to talk to you."

"Well why'd you throw the note into the fire? You're acting very weird lately." He furrowed his eyebrows together.

"Never mind...if I'm going to talk to Hermione tomorrow, I'll need some sleep. I guess I'll try to get some shut eye tonight, some beauty sleep, eh?"

With that, Ron turned and softly padded up the stairs to the dorms. Harry let out another sigh and plopped down onto a couch. He had figured it better to tell Ron what Hermione said, then have him reading the note and figuring out what was going on with Draco and Hermione. He began to mentally prepare himself for what was coming: Ron and Hermione would get back together, argue and bicker, break up, and there he'd be, in the middle of it all.

"Here we go again," he muttered, resting his head in his hands.

The next morning, Hermione wandered into the Gryffindor common room, a place she hadn't seen in a long time. She hadn't realized just how much she missed it until she stepped through the portrait hole into her old home. Her heart beat faster in her chest, and butterflies flew in her stomach. Was it really the right thing, getting back with Ron after all he'd done? Her heart and her mind screamed no, but then she saw Ron looking absolutely pitiful on the couch, and her mind wondered how she could do this to someone she'd loved.

Ron suddenly looked up from where he was sitting.

"Hermione?" His eyes looked wide and sad.

"Hey, Ron." Everyone in the common room looked up to see what would happen. Hermione blushed.

"Ron, d'you think we could go for a walk or something?" He nodded and got up at the couch, shooting a triumphant look at Seamus behind Hermione's retreating back.

They walked together down the halls in silence. Ron kept up his sad puppy look, staring mournfully at the ground while Hermione looked at everything except him. Finally, she cleared her throat.

"Ah, well...how are things, Ron?"

"Awful."

"Why is that?" Ron stopped in his tracks and grabbed Hermione's hand.

"I need you in my life, Hermione."

"Oh, Ron..."

"No, listen. I'm a wreck without you, there's no one to take care of me."

"But Ron," she sighed. "You kind of messed -"

"Shhhhh," he said, putting a finger to her lips. "Can't we forget about the past, and start everything over? We were perfect together Hermione, don't you remember?"

"I...but..."

"Hermione, don't say anything. Just come back to me, please?"

She looked down at the ground. There had been no apology... but then, maybe she had been wrong to expect one. She looked back up at Ron with a forced smile and nodded.

"That's a girl," Ron smiled.

He pulled Hermione in for a kiss. She tried to kiss back, but it was a kiss robbed of all its passion, and she didn't feel the same as she did when she kissed Draco. She pushed those thoughts away - Draco couldn't have a place in her heart or mind anymore. Ron pulled back.

"I love you, Hermione," he said grinning.

"Yea... yea, you too Ron." Then why did she feel so chained all of the sudden?

Draco mindlessly found his way back to the dorms and collapsed without thought in the nearest chair. He had been wandering the halls in thought of how to convince Hermione of his feelings when he stumbled upon the two, their hands clasped together. At first he thought he was mistaken, because what could Hermione possibly want with Ron? He was making his way towards them, to tell Ron off, when he got close enough to hear what they were saying.

"Hermione, don't say anything. Just come back to me, please?"

He stopped dead in his tracks, waiting for Hermione's answer, knowing surely it had to be no. She looked up at Ron and nodded, and it was as if Draco had received his death sentence. His heart shattered and fell into his stomach.

"That's a girl," Ron had said, and all at once Draco felt like he was going to kill Ron and throw up. He could feel his whole world falling in around him as Hermione and Ron kissed, and he desperately wished he could die. The tears were welling in his eyes, which only made him angrier. He wrenched himself from the spot where he stood and walked aimlessly away.

Now he was sitting in more pain than he could remember having in his life. The last thing he wanted was to see someone, but there was a knock at the portrait hole. Reluctantly, he got up and opened it. There, with a stupid grin plastered on her porcelain face, was Karissa.

"Draco, can I come in?"

He studied her face, looking her over like one would examine a horse. If she would just keep her mouth shut, she wasn't too bad looking. And he knew how to keep her mouth shut.

"Karissa, I'm so glad you're here. Please, come in."

It was time to bury his pain the only way he knew how.


	17. Perfect

Ron and Hermione spent the next few weeks together, and she was always by his side. She felt the chains tighten more and more around her body everyday as she felt the pressure to be the perfect girlfriend that everyone expected her to be. Everyone had talked to her at one point or another about how happy they were to see the perfect couple reunited.

Perfect. She had heard that word so many times and felt that pressure so much since she got back with Ron. Hermione thought that if she heard the word "perfect" just one more time, she'd throw whoever said it off the top of the astronomy tower. Didn't anyone understand the pressure behind the word "perfect"? She thought that if people knew the full weight of the word, it would have been outlawed years ago.

But finally, it was Christmas vacation. Ron, of course, was going home to visit his family. The war had torn them apart and now it was very rare for all the Weasleys to be together in one place. Hermione didn't mind that Ron would be gone. The rest of her classmates would ask her, "How are you going to survive without him during break? Why don't you go with him?" Hermione would simply shrug and say that she would somehow live without him, and explain that Ron really needed the time to be alone with his family. "You two are so perfect for each other," people would coo, and Hermione often felt like smacking someone over the head with her wand.

Draco would also be staying. Christmas at his house wouldn't be the same, and his mother said it would probably be best if he just stayed at school. Naturally, once Karissa heard the news, she was quite eager herself to stay at Hogwarts. Draco felt indifferent about the whole thing. Hermione would be there, which normally would have brightened the whole outlook of vacation, but things between them had become quite chilled and cordial since she and Ron got back together.

Hermione said her goodbyes to Ron and Harry as they boarded the carriage to leave school. Harry gave her one last sad look before the carriage took off, while Ron merely offered a flippant wave. She heaved a sigh and turned to walk up to her dorms and relax. She was so used to the walk that it hardly took her any time at all to get there, and she found herself almost surprised when she met up with the portrait.

"Hullo, Hermione," Lizzie greeted her as she entered the portrait.

"Hey, Lizzie. Where's Will?"

"Will?" Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Off flirting, no doubt. He's always flirting with someone. He'd flirt with the Fat Lady if he could fit in her portrait." Hermione gave a half-hearted laugh.

"If you don't mind me asking, Hermione, you seem awfully glum lately."

"Yea, I guess so. Maybe it's just because it's winter and all," she replied.

"Maybe," Lizzie replied with a tone of disbelief in her voice. "Anyway," she said, returning to her cheerful self, "I'm glad you're staying around, I was afraid I'd have to deal with Draco and Miss Karissa all break."

"Lizzie, why don't you just call her Karissa?" Lizzie shuddered.

"No thank you, I don't really care for her much. I'm still glad to see that Draco hasn't given her the password yet, but all the same it's quite annoying to listen to her plead with me to let her in. Then she pounds on the portrait like it's a bloody wooden door. No thank you! She'll always be 'Miss' to me."

Hermione could certainly emphasize with that, and she told Lizzie so.

"Anyway, she's in there now, so I'd be careful when you walk in."

Hermione's heart fell. "Thanks Lizzie. 'Silver'." The portrait swung open.

Hermione entered the room with trepidation, afraid to even glance over at the couch. Foolishly, she looked towards the smacking noises. Draco was laid out on the couch with Karissa draped on the top of him. She was viciously attacking his lips, his ears, his neck, anything she could get her lips and tongue on. Draco just sort of took it all in passively, eyes shut, save for the occasional tongue that he would offer for Karissa. Karissa obviously thought they were in heated make-out session; Draco was clearly just enjoying the ride. Hermione cleared her throat. Simultaneously, Draco's eyes flung open and Karissa bit his lip a little too hard, both surprised by her entrance.

"Ow!" Karissa pouted as she suddenly found herself thrown to the floor. Draco sat up straight, putting his fingers to his lip and checking for any signs of blood.

"Merlin, Karissa, do try not to bite my lip off next time, eh?"

He glanced over at Hermione through the corner of his eyes, too afraid to turn his head and meet her gaze. Hermione stared at the pair for a few more moments before turning up the stairs and shutting her curtain. Draco stared up at her as her hand disappeared behind the red velvet. Karissa sat there and looked at Draco. Her eyes squinted in deep thought, and then they glanced back down at her lap painfully. Finally, Draco remembered that Karissa was on the floor, and he helped her back onto the couch. He leaned in to kiss her neck, but she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away.

"Draco, don't." For the first time since they'd met, Karissa's voice was down a few octaves and her ditzy lilt was almost gone.

"For months now Draco I've been trying to make you love me, like me even - hell, I'd even settle for a mere toleration. And for the past few weeks, I was sure I'd succeeded. I've made a total fool out of my self, all for you. I know I'm not the brightest star in the sky, but my god, I'm not a complete idiot, Draco."

Draco merely looked at her stunned. He could still pick up her annoying ditziness every once and again, but altogether this was an entirely different Karissa.

"I know that your mum and my mum have been trying to set us up. I was so desperately hoping that it would happen. I have tried every trick in the book to win you over. I have literally thrown myself at you, all in hopes of having your heart. But I'm a girl, Draco. And just like any girl, there are certain things that I can just tell."

She looked sadly into Draco's eyes, and where the pain was written clearly in his, the truth was written clearly in hers.

"You've just been using me to forget things. I'm just a way to forget the pain you've been feeling. Your heart can never belong to me, Draco. And that's because it already belongs to Hermione." Draco's heart fell into his stomach.

"Karissa, I-"

"No, don't worry about it; I knew it all along really. I guess I was just hoping to change things. But I'm not going to do this anymore, I'm not going to make a tool out of myself anymore, and I'm certainly not going to stand in the way of true love anymore. I hope that we can be friends, but this isn't going to happen anymore. Goodbye, Draco."

With that, Karissa kissed his cheek before getting up and walking out the portrait hole. Draco could hardly believe it. Karissa wasn't nearly as dumb as everyone thought she was, and he was impressed by her courageousness. He could respect any girl who would refuse to be used, even though he was the one doing the using. He sat on the couch for another hour or so, thinking about his life and what needed to be changed, and then he retreated to his own room.


	18. If You Can't Stand the Heat

Christmas dinner proved to be somewhat awkward. Draco, Karissa, and Hermione all sat apart, seperated by various students that none of them really knew. Hermione attempting conversation with her professors, preferring to bear even talking with Professor Trelawney than talking to Draco. Karissa did seem to know another Ravenclaw, and they shared gossip about housemates. Draco just ate his food and then excused himself to the dorms. Shortly after, Hermione asked to also be excused from the table. Professor Dumbledore winked at Professor McGonagall as they shared a knowing glance.

Hermione walked up to the portrait hole and saw Will and Lizzie sharing quite the snog. A piece of discarded mistletoe lay at the bottom corner of the frame. She stood tapping her foot for about a minute or so before finally tapping lightly on the portait frame. Will and Lizzie jumped apart and both turned very red as they opened the portrait hole without asking for the password. She wasn't tired at all, but she didn't know what else to do besides go to bed.

Something else came up as she entered the dorm area and saw Draco sitting on the couch, gazing longingly into the fire. Hermione decided to just sit on the couch opposite him, her options seriously lacking and her energy far from low. She looked into the fire, hoping to see what had captured Draco's attention, and by the time she looked up again Draco was staring at her with a far away look in his eyes. She decided to try and make conversation.

"How are things?"

"Good," he murmured, still captured by his own thoughts. His eyes turned from her face back to the fire.

"I haven't seen Karissa around lately, and I couldn't help but notice that you two didn't sit together at dinner."

"Mmmm," he replied.

"Anything going on with that?"

"Nothing is going on with that. For that matter, there is no 'that'. Karissa will no longer be seen around here with the exception of her tutoring sessions."

"Oh that's a shame."

"Not really," he said softly, turning his eyes back up at her. Their eyes met for the longest time until she awkwardly glanced away.

"Such a nice girl. I'm sorry things didn't work out."

"I'm not. There was nothing to work out."

"Come again?"

"Karissa and I were never dating, Hermione."

"Could've fooled me," she snorted. Draco sighed.

"How are things with you and Ron?"

"Great," she replied uneasily.

"Could've fooled me," he said as he raised an eyebrow.

"What do you care?"

"What do I care?" he asked astonished. "Hermione, when have I not cared about you and that fool?"

"Draco, let's be real about things for once. I thought we were moving past all this when you got with Karissa."

"I could never move past this," he said sadly. "Karissa was my sad attempt at burying my pain."

"'Burying' indeed," she snorted.

"I didn't do anything with her, Hermione."

"I saw the two of you on the couch together, Draco, I'm not stupid."

"What is with women and saying 'I'm not stupid?'," he muttered.

"What?" Hermione looked confused.

"Nothing. Listen Hermione, all Karissa and I did was make out. Actually all I did was sit there and let Karissa do the making out I suppose."

"Draco, your reputation is working against you here," Hermione replied critically.

"Yes, I guess so, but like I've told you before, I'm a virgin. Karissa is hardly worth something as special as that, and if you don't want to believe me, then that's your business."

They both sat there brooding silently, Draco once more gazing into the flames, Hermione staring at her folded hands.

"What did you mean, 'burying your pain'?" Hermione looked back at Draco as she whispered the question.

"Hermione...," he began, getting up from his couch and moving to hers.

"I saw you and Ron get back together. It killed me, drove a knife through my aching heart. All I've wanted in the past year or so is you, and I've never been able to have you, save a few moments." He caressed her cheek as they moved closer and closer together. "Hermione, I told you that I loved you. I wasn't lying. I'm very, very much in love with you."

She was instantly captured by his spell, a combination of both his candid words and the look on his face. Their faces moved so close together that their breath mingled and their foreheads touched.

"Draco," she whispered softly against his lips.

Finally, their lips met in a kiss that began slowly. They were both cautious and reserved with the kiss, scared of frightening the other off. After a few moments of slow moving of lip against lip, Draco bravely but carefully ran the tip of his tongue along Hermione's slightly parted lips, hoping that she would reply.

Hermione stopped for a second, the longest second either had ever known, before gently caressing Draco's tongue with her own. The initial movements were slow, calculated, soft pressure of lip against lip, tongue twisting with tongue. Then, the pressure that had built up began to leak out, the kiss becoming more desperate, more needing. Hermione's hands snaked up behind Draco's head, pulling his mouth closer to hers, quickening the pace of the kiss, putting more pressure into the kiss.

Draco replied by wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist, pulling her body closer into his, gently sucking on her lower lip in between kisses. The kiss was slowly becoming faster and more frantic, the moves based more on instinct than on thought. Hermione climbed onto Draco's lap, leaning over and kissing his sensitive neck, nibbling on his soft earlobe.

She leaned in, and began to kiss him again more fervently before. The two bodies began to fall back into the cushions of the couch, Hermione's small body pressed under Draco's muscular form. He too left her lips for only seconds at a time, giving equal attention to her ears and neck, nibbling softly here and there before returning to her parted lips. Her hands found their way up his shirt, sliding over the taught muscles of his abs and up the smooth skin on his back as the kiss intensified. Finally, she pulled the shirt off altogether, breaking the kiss and staring at his chest with hungry eyes before pulling him back in for a new kiss.

At the next break, while kissing her neck, Draco couldn't resist sliding his hands up Hermione's warm, smooth stomach and then pulling her own shirt off. At this point they both stopped, their hungry eyes met, both lips swollen from kissing, both cheeks flushed with heat. The gaze was the most intense yet, filled with both love and longing, passion and need.

Things got very serious from there, and before either of them knew it, they were down to their underwear. Draco and Hermione stared at each other, panting softly, their hearts racing, each knowing what was going to come next. Hermione slid her hands down Draco's sides, looking up into his eyes, and she grabbed the hem of his boxers and got ready to pull them off.

Draco leapt up from the couch, suddenly wild and horrified. He backed away, stumbling over the table for a moment before regaining his balance. He began to put his clothes back on. Hermione sat up on the couch, absolutely puzzled as to what was going on.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

"I'm not going to do this, Hermione."

"Why not?" She said, her eyes wide with confusion. "Don't you want to?"

"God yes Hermione, more than anything I've ever wanted. I would absolutely love to make love to you right now, but I won't."

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Why in Merlin's name not?"

"Because you don't belong to me, you belong to another man, and I'm not that kind of guy."

"I don't belong to anyone!" she shouted. She got up from the couch and moved towards Draco, grabbing his arm. "Can't you see that I'll never belong to Ron!"

"You're still with another man, Hermione. I can't do that, I can't!"

"Draco, I want to! Forget the bloody chivalry! I want you so badly right now!"

"I know, and that's another reason why I won't do this. Hermione you need to put more thought into this, you need to make a clearheaded decision whether or not I'm the one you want to be with when you make love for the first time."

"I have thought about this, and you're the one!"

"Well, then that's fine! We can do that when you are no longer dating Ron and when the time is right, ok?"

Hermione stood feeling very upset and suddenly embarrassed. She started snatching up her discarded garments from the ground.

"Whatever," she groaned. "If you didn't want me, all you had to do was say so."

"Didn't want you?" Draco asked amazed. "Hermione, what are you talking about?"

"This was clearly just some sort of scam, and I'm sick of these games we play, Draco."

"Hermione, you're not making any sense!"

"Bloody hell, where is my shirt?" Draco handed her the shirt, which she promptly took from his hands. She turned and stormed up to her room.

"Hermione!" he called after her, but she just kept going.

"What in the name of Merlin just happened here?"

Draco could only stand in the room, stunned.


	19. Tropical Storm

Hermione sat in her room feeling the most embarrassed she ever had in her life. Had she really just reacted so stupidly? Had she really made THAT big of a fool out of herself? Replaying the moments over in her mind, she knew that the answer to both questions was undoubtedly "Yes." She stared at the clothes she held in her hand, feeling like a complete idiot. Hermione knew what she had accused Draco of was ridiculous, and she didn't know how to go about things anymore. So, instead of dealing with things, she'd do something else.

Draco sat on the couch where just an hour ago he and Hermione had been passionately making out. He still couldn't figure out what in Merlin's beard had just happened. He surveyed the room, trying to put A and B together to no avail. He had been _thisclose_ to getting what he had always dreamed of, and he turned it down. "Sure," he said aloud, "it wasn't exactly how I wanted it, she's still with Weasel." Still, he couldn't help but think that having Hermione in the utmost way would have been perfect, a moment he could have died in. Draco was sick of sitting there, so he got up and started towards his room.

Just as Draco started up the stairs, Hermione emerged from her room. Dressed in a different outfit and looking much more put together than she had when he last saw her, she stopped still at the top of the stairs. They stood, looking at each other for an eternity, until Hermione broke the glare and started down the steps. Draco started up the steps and as they passed each other he caught a whiff of that perfume that had always driven him mad. He was quite tempted to just grab her and snog some sense into her, but he just continued up the steps.

He stopped just outside of his room and turned to watch her. Hermione was walking as fast as she could while remaining composed towards the portrait hole. Her eyes fluttered shut and she stopped in her tracks as she heard Draco's voice.

"Where are you going?" he called after her.

"Out," was all she replied as she pushed the portrait hole open and climbed out.

"I gathered that," Draco mumbled to himself as he entered his room.

At first, she had intended on going - where else? - the library. Hermione wandered the halls, revisiting places she hadn't been in a while, walking around the castle for what seemed like hours. It was as though she was on a journey from her past. Past the doors to the Great Hall, to where Draco had turned into a bouncing ferret, past the room where she and Ron had been caught that fateful night, past the prefect's lounge, past Moaning Myrtle's bathroom where she had spent so much time with Ron and Harry, through the route they had taken while on the run from Filch, past the door to Fluffy, up to the Astronomy tower and the Divination room, everywhere she went holding a memory or a feeling that was quickly fading, until she reached the place she had been looking for all along.

Gryffindor common room.

The Fat Lady still stood cozily in her portrait, a thankfully familiar sight. Hermione stood admiring the portrait she had so often taken for granted in her past. The Fat Lady's face was contorted into a rather confused look until finally she spoke.

"M'Lady? Can I help you?"

Hermione was snapped from her daze. She muttered the password and was granted entrance into the room. Hermione was nearly driven to tears at the place of her past, a place long gone now. So much had changed since she had last been here, and if there was anything Hermione hated, it was change. There was nothing different about the common room. She ignored the curious looks from various people who had stayed behind during the break and sat at the place she and Harry and Ron used to always have their chats. This is where they used to plan things. She was filled with an ultimate sadness, but sat there for hours just reminiscing.

The break ended, and Ron was back. The train that carried students had also carried Reality back to Hogwarts. Hermione and Draco were back to somewhat frosty relations and Ron became a little more controlling of Hermione, as though he knew what had happened. Something was weird about Ron, though. He insisted more and more on Hermione leaving him alone. Sometimes he was studying, sometimes he was tired, sometimes he was sick, but no matter what the reason, he told Hermione that she could do whatever she wanted. One night she received an owl from Ron.

_"Hermione,_

I know that you and I were supposed to spend quality time together. However, I really need to study for Potions tonight, and so maybe you could just stay in your dorm, take a hot bath, whatever. Don't worry, you'll get to see me tomorrow.

I know you love me, Ron"  
  
Hermione was annoyed. As much as she didn't particularly look forward to seeing him, she didn't like being treated this way. She wasn't ALWAYS available for his beck and call, and whenever she did clear out time in her schedule for him, he'd cancel on her. She was always canceling plans last minute, putting off studying, anything for Ron because he would get angry with her other wise. Hermione knew she had to study for Potions as well, so she gathered her things and walked out the portrait hole towards the Gryffindor tower.

Hermione gave the Fat Lady the password, and entered the crowded common room. Harry was studying as well, but when he looked up and saw Hermione he shut his book and smiled.

"And why are we granted the pleasure of your company this evening?"

"Hey, Harry. Well I just got this note from Ron," she waved the note, "and thought I'd surprise him tonight."

Harry read the note, and his face turned to panic for a brief moment before he nervously looked back up at Hermione.

"Potions, huh?" he said, obviously a little unhinged. "Funny, that's what I need to study for too. Think you could help me out?"

"I'd love to Harry." He looked pleased for a moment. "Wait! Why don't I get Ron, and we can all study together, like we used to? Where is he?" She looked around the room.

"He's uh... well, he's up in our dorm, but Hermione, don't you think you could just help me for a second?"

"I will Harry, I promise. What do you need help with anyway?"

"You know... that... thing that Snape taught us the other day... about... ermm...potions." He smiled at her. She smiled back, her eyes betraying her amusement and confusion.

"Right...Harry I think maybe you ought to take a break from studying while I go and talk to Ron." She turned to go up the stairs.

"Wait! Hermione I need to tell you something!" Harry leaped up from his chair. Hermione stopped and turned to look at him.

"Yes?" Her head tilted and her eyes looked inquisitive.

"Well...," he stopped and thought for a moment. "No, on second thought, maybe you ought to go see Ron. We'll talk about it later."

"Alright," she said with a smile, and with that she turned up the stairs.

Harry sighed. He sat back down in his chair, knowing what he needed to talk with Hermione about probably couldn't have waited. She'd find out anyway. Maybe this was the answer to his problem after all. He braced himself in the desk.

"Sorry, 'Mione," he muttered, going back to his work.

What could Harry have wanted to talk to her about? He had seemed rather urgent about the issue. Hermione tried to shrug off the feeling of dread that was settling in her stomach as she walked up the steps. Hermione turned the handle to the 7th year boys' dorm, to no avail. It was locked. "Alohamora," she murmured. The door softly clicked, and she opened it.

At first there was nothing out of order about the room. She scanned the room, dimly lit though it was, for any sign of Ron. Surely Harry was wrong - no one could study by candlelight. Her brow furrowed in concentration. Then she heard the soft moan of a girl.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione muttered, embarrassed and turning to go. Then she heard something that made her stop. The same voice that had moaned just one second earlier, called out Ron's name in a low, purring moan. Hermione set her books on a nearby desk, trying to ignore the sounds coming from the only bed whose curtains were drawn: Ron's.

She stalked over there, being careful not to be too loud. For a moment, she paused with her hands on the curtains, wondering if she really wanted to know what was going on. Strengthening her resolve, she yanked the curtains open to reveal what she should have expected all along.

Ron was on his bed, very clearly naked and very clearly enjoying himself with a very naked Lavender perched on top of him. It didn't take the intelligence of Hermione to know what was going on, even though she herself had never committed the act. They were undoubtedly having sex. Hermione pulled out her wand, tempted for one brief second to hex them both before muttering a charm that turned all the lights of the room on as bright as they would go. Lavender leaped off of Ron, reaching for a nearby curtain to cover herself. Ron pulled the covers over the sign of his betrayal.

"HERMIONE! What are you doing here?"

"Well I thought I'd help you 'study'," she said, her voice dripping with disgust, "but I'm afraid I'm not really into the whole threesome thing."

"Hermione, it's not what it looks like..." Lavender began, picking up her clothes, but Hermione stopped her.

"Let me guess: the age old, 'Oops! I tripped and fell and on the way down I lost all my clothes and took Ron's off in the process and then just conveniently landed on his erect penis', am I right?" She glared at the two, who were scrambling to get dressed and who had nothing to say.

"I wouldn't worry about getting dressed; I've already seen all the both of you have to offer. Ron, I can hardly believe this, though I guess I should have known. I won't stand for cheating, and so for the one hundredth and FINAL time, we are through!" She picked up her things and stormed down the steps. She knew she was being hypocritical after what she had done with Draco, but somehow she knew this wasn't just a one time fling.

Harry sat where he had been earlier, praying fervently for his life when he heard Hermione stomping down the stairs. He pretended to take no notice of her angry grunts until she stopped right in front of him.

"Harry, if you need help with your potions, I'll be in my dorm!"

Hermione swept through the dorm like a storm, knocking over whoever or whatever was in her way, including one very frightened first year and one Quidditch playing fourth year. Books and papers lay scattered in her path, and after she left everyone could only look at each other. Hurricane Hermione had only just begun.


	20. Hurricane Strikes

Hurricane Hermione struck full force back in the Head Boy and Girl dorms. Not even bothering to talk to Lizzie or Will, she stormed through the portrait hole and proceeded to undo the entire living area. She knocked over an end table, threw pillows halfway across the room, and shoved entire stacks of papers to the ground. She pulled a book from a nearby bookshelf and got ready to throw.

"No," she muttered. "Might damage the book."

Hermione returned the book safely to the shelf and continued to throw things. She was in the middle of her tantrum when Draco emerged, wide-eyed and clearly frightened. He stood absolutely still, not daring to move while Hermione ripped the room from top to bottom. Chairs hit the floor and any small object was sent whizzing through the air. Finally, when every object - except for the bookshelves - had been thrown or in some way tormented, Hermione stopped and collapsed onto a nearby couch frame. She was panting heavily, red-faced from both her anger and the exertion.

When Draco was sure that Hurricane Hermione had lost its steam, he slowly walked down the steps, careful not to startle her. She sat mumbling angrily, clearly not satisfied with the damage she had caused, but all the same somewhat pacified. Draco stood at the bottom of the steps and surveyed the damage. Hermione had done quite a number on their dorm. He muttered a cleaning spell and after a few seconds everything was back to normal.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes. No. Oh bloody hell, I don't know," she replied, throwing a pillow across the room. Draco levitated the pillow and returned it.

"What happened?"

"Ron and Lavender were going at it in his dorm. Let's ignore, for just one moment, that it's ILLEGAL to have members of the opposite sex in your dorms. And let's also ignore for one moment that it's totally AGAINST THE RULES to be having sex! RON WAS CHEATING ON ME ALL ALONG!" On that note, she threw the same pillow across the room again. Draco once more levitated the pillow and returned it to its spot.

"They were having sex?" Draco asked, wand at the ready.

"YES and lots of it, no doubt! Walked RIGHT IN on them!" She ripped a hole in the pillow this time, sending cotton flying everywhere. Draco sighed and muttered a charm to repair it.

"I guess that upsets you?"

"YES IT UPSETS ME!" she yelled, ripping the pillow and throwing it.

"Well, not to kick you when you're down, but you and I nearly went at it ourselves during the break," he said, levitating the pillow and repairing it as it flew towards the couch. "Makes you kind of hypocritical doesn't it?" This time, Hermione snatched the pillow from mid air and threw it at Draco, who ducked just in time.

"Thank you Draco, I'd thought of that already," she muttered as she glared at him.

"Right, then maybe you'd just better make the decision that you've needed to make all along, and get rid of the slug, eh?" The pillow flew once more back to its spot. Hermione reached for the pillow again.

"And if you don't mind, stop tossing that pillow about, because I'm getting a little tired of charming it every five bloody seconds," he said firmly, and Hermione put the pillow back.

"Sorry," she grunted, just as there was a knock at the portrait hole. Harry came in after he was granted entrance, and asked to speak with Hermione privately.

"Hermione," he began after Draco left. "I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you."

"It's alright, Harry," she said.

"No, no it's not. I've known about this for a long time now. They've been doing stuff all year, I mean it started with just flirting, but you know how Lavender can be. And I found out about them having sex, and I promised Ron I wouldn't tell you. I didn't want to hurt you anyway. So letting you just find them like that last night - well it was my way of telling you without betraying Ron's trust."

"It really is ok Harry. I know that it must have been a tough position to be in."

"What are you going to do about it?" He looked concerned.

"I really meant it this time. I'm not coming back, no matter what he does. I can't stand him, or the sight of him." She decided against telling Harry about what had happened over the break.

"I wish everything had stayed the same between us," he sighed. "Remember when we were just best mates? Those were the greatest times."

"Yea," she sadly replied. They both sat silent for a moment before Harry looked up, putting a fake smile on his face.

"So, about potions..."

The next few days went by without much going on. Of course, before long the entire school knew about Ron and Lavender, so Hermione did get quite a few people telling her to just wait it out, that it was just a phase he was going through, and that they could all tell Ron really loved Hermione. Her response was a dry laugh and a roll of the eye, and the case was closed. However, after five or so days had passed, Ron sent her a letter asking her to please meet him in the Gryffindor common room.

Hermione was reluctant to go, but she did ultimately find herself at the portrait of the Fat Lady. Inside the common room, Ron sat on a couch looking very confident. That was never a good sign for Hermione. He gestured for her to join him on the couch, and the entire room fell silent in anticipation.

"Hermione," he began. "What I'm about to say to you may give you a shock."

"What?" she said. "You're actually going to apologize for once?" Ron ignored the apparent sarcasm and continued on.

"Hermione, you've always taken such good care of me. You do the things that I need you to do and you treat me the way I deserve to be treated. We've certainly had our ups and downs, but overall I'm very satisfied with this relationship. I can't imagine my life without you there to take care of me. Which is what brings me here today."

Ron pulled something out of his pocket and went down on one knee. The look on his face was cocky and arrogant, and it sickened Hermione to know what was about to happen. The rest of the common room sucked in a collective breath as whispers went around the room like hundreds of small fires going out.

"Hermione, I want you to take care of me for the rest of my life. Marry me." He pulled the box open to reveal an engagement ring.

"I don't know what to say," Hermione said, trying to piece together her thoughts.

"Do yourself a favor and say yes," he replied, taking her left hand in his.

Hermione was trying to think of a way to diffuse the situation or a way to answer his command when she looked down at her hand that Ron held. There was something nagging at the back of her head, something telling her to pay attention. Suddenly, she gasped. She couldn't believe it! Hermione knew how to answer the question.


	21. The Ring

Hermione rushed out of the common room, leaving a stunned group behind her. She very nearly burst into a run, trying to get back to her dorms as fast as she could. Students and teachers became blurs and she ignored everything, even Professor McGonagall calling out her name. No one could figure out why Hermione looked so happy and yet so urgent all at once.

Hermione burst through the opening of her portrait hole. Draco looked up from the book he was reading to see her flushed face. She stopped dead in her tracks, looking unsure of what she was about to say. She walked over to him timidly and nervously and sat down on the couch.

"Hey, Hermione. What's going on?" He looked at her with concern.

"Ron proposed to me," she said bluntly. Draco leaped up from the couch.

"He did WHAT!"

"As an apology I guess," she said, nodding her head. Draco began to back towards the stairs.

"And..," he said nervously. "What was your answer?"

Hermione got up from the couch and walked towards Draco. She held out her left hand. Draco's heart fell into his stomach when he saw a ring placed on the ever important finger. She was bound to Ron now, and there could be no hope. He felt like he was dying, like his very life force had been sucked from him. Draco couldn't remove his eyes from the ring, and felt himself becoming sick.

"Congratulations," he whispered, before turning to run up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" she asked confused.

"My room. Maybe it's best that you go back to your fiance for a while," came his sad reply when he didn't even bother to turn around and face her.

"Draco, you stupid git! I didn't say yes!" She climbed up the stairs faster than he did and cut him off at the entrance to his room.

"But...," he squinted his eyes at her. What was she playing at? "You're wearing a ring?" Hermione sighed heavily.

"You need to learn to pay more attention. Draco, this isn't an engagement ring." She slid the ring off her finger and handed it to him. "This is the ring YOU gave me."

Draco was even more stunned than he had been before. He examined the ring. It was indeed the plain silver ring he had given to Hermione over the summer, although it was a bit tarnished from use. The inside engraving of the dragon was still there. He knew now what her answer to Ron was, but what was all this about?

"Ok... so you are wearing my ring instead?"

"When Ron proposed to me, I looked down at my hand as if trying to find an answer. After a few seconds, I realized that I was wearing your ring... on my ring finger. Do you know why you place wedding rings on your left ring finger?" Draco shook his head.

"You put them there," she whispered, moving closer to him, "because ancients believed that the left ring finger was directly attached to the heart. It was the closest to the heart. Draco, I've been wearing your ring on the finger closest to my heart ever since you gave it to me, I just never realized it." He gulped.

"And what does that mean?" he asked, barely audible.

"Draco... I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for so long now, I can't even begin to keep count. I've been trying to fool everyone, even myself, because I was so afraid of what didn't make sense. But now I know that the feelings I have for you make all the sense in the world. I love you Draco! And Ron made me realize that... that I'm always going to love you. Always."

They were so close that Draco could feel her breath fanning his lips. He sucked in a deep breath at what she was saying.

"So now, all I want...," she whispered against his lips," is you. I want to be with you the way we should have been together over a year ago."

On that note, Draco leant forward and captured her lips in a kiss that wasn't exploding with passion, as their other ones had been. This one was soft and gentle, a kiss of love. He gently cupped her cheek while holding her hand with his other hand. When they broke apart, Draco took his ring and placed it back on Hermione's finger.

"I hope you don't forget what this means?" he asked.

"I could never forget anything about you," she said smiling. He smiled back before asking her the question he'd been wanting to for a few minutes.

"So... what did you say to Ron?" Hermione laughed.

"I told him that he could shove the ring up his arse and that Lavender could retrieve it for him, because there was no way in Heaven or Hell I'd ever marry him. Then I punched him." Draco laughed.

"Nice one."

"In the balls," she added, and as she walked into her room still chuckling, Draco instantly stopped laughing and cupped his own.

"Note to self… never make her mad."


	22. Breakfast

After that, Ron and Lavender could be seen around school together. People soon forgot that Hermione and Ron had ever so much as dated, and Lavender and Ron were the new "Perfect couple." Hermione was thrilled that she was relieved of that weighty title. She and Draco were finally together, but her happiness was hindered by the fact that they had both decided to keep it a secret.

Hermione wanted to tell the world that she was with a man who finally treated her right, who finally loved her, who she loved back. She wanted to shout it from the astronomy tower and write it all over the walls. She was going stir crazy with the knowledge that she was finally with Draco and yet no one could know.

Oh, there were ways of going about things without arousing suspicion. It obviously helped that they shared a dorm. Beyond that, it was exchanging secret glances, meeting up in secret places, exchanging secret notes: the keyword, naturally, being "secret." Neither of them were very happy with keeping the happiest part of their lives a secret.

"Draco," Hermione and Draco were curled up on the couch in front of the fire.

"Yea?" His head perked up and his eyes opened to look at her quizzically.

"I think it's time that we come clean about us." Draco sat up, forcing Hermione to sit up as well.

"'Mione, look at me," he said, cupping her chin and forcing her to look at him.

"You know that if we tell people about this, about us, what could happen?"

"I know, we've talked about this so many times before, and I don't care anymore. Draco, I just want to be happy with you. As long as we go into things together, as one, what could matter? What could go wrong?"

"Your friends, your best friends since you started at Hogwarts could turn against you," Draco looked concerned.

"Harry knows," she said, "and he understands. We're better friends than that. And as for Ron," she snorted, "things can't ever be the same between us anyway."

"Hermione..." he looked so deeply into her eyes that he could see her soul. "Are you absolutely sure about this?"

"Yes," she nodded, and sealed her answer with a kiss.

The next morning was Valentine's Day. Draco and Hermione headed down to the Great Hall together, hand in hand. They paused outside the door and Draco leaned over to lightly kiss Hermione.

"Are you ready?" She nodded, her face set in a firm resolve. He squeezed her hand and opened the door.

As they walked into the Great Hall, no one seemed to notice. After a moment, however, a set of eyes met the pair. Whispers were sent across the room in wave, and soon hundreds of silent eyes watched the pair. Even the teachers had fallen silent. Dumbledore put his hands together and tried to conceal a smile.

"The things a headmaster must do these days," he murmured.

"What was that, sir?" Minerva raised an eyebrow at Albus.

"Nothing, my dear, just complementing on how absolutely delicious this bacon is. Wouldn't you agree, Severus?" he asked, nudging the Potions Master.

"What?" Severus shook his head, peeling his eyes away from his favorite pupil and the girl who never failed to give him a headache. Albus just smiled.

Draco and Hermione took a seat at the empty end of the Slytherin table. Ron stood up and looked furious, but the combination of a seething look from Lavender and the force from Harry's hand made Ron take his seat again. Draco smiled at Hermione, fixed her a plate of food, and gently kissed her cheek. No one dared to say anything as the pair ate their breakfast. One by one, however, people decided it was hardly a huge crisis and returned to their own business.

"Looks like we're a success," smiled Hermione.


	23. Only the Beginning

A/N: Coldplay appears for the last time. _Yellow_ should start when Draco flicks his wand.

* * *

The school basically stopped caring about Draco and Hermione. Most of the younger students didn't know well enough to be shocked by the pair, and the older students were too busy to care anymore. Besides a few stray comments from a still seething Ron, the couple was left alone to be blissfully happy. Exams came and went, and before anyone could believe it, the year was over. The 7th years had all passed their tests and were all certified wizards – even Neville passed, if by the skin of his teeth. It was the perfect way to end the year. There was no one left behind, no one who failed, besides those who had unfortunately lost their lives to the war in some fashion or another.

The night before they were set to leave Hogwarts, Hermione sat in a state of sentimentality by the now empty fireplace. She was remembering all the moments she shared with her friends, even Ron. It was truly a bittersweet feeling, remembering all the great moments that she had shared with Harry and Ron, the Golden Trio that no longer was. Ron and Hermione had shared a wonderful friendship that should have never crossed the sometimes thin line of friendship and romance. She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and sighed. Change was always hard to deal with, and this year had been the biggest. Her parents had died, her friendships had been drastically altered, and she had found the love of her life. Her haven, Hogwarts, could no longer be the place it once was – a place of safety and learning. Hermione could never go back; no one could go back. Innocence was lost within these walls: a frightened, doe-eyed, know-it-all eleven year old came in, and a confident, but somewhat hardened eighteen year old was coming out. She had seen life for what it was, not through the lenses of a child.

As she sat engulfed in her own thoughts, Draco quietly came down the staircase. He too had been thinking about the past. He stood at the base of those steps for a few moments, admiring Hermione in the special way only a person in love can. He was satisfied to just watch her and know that she was alive. Draco gained courage from her spirit and strength from her love.

"You love me don't you?" Hermione turned around slightly, shocked at the sudden appearance of her boyfriend.

"Of course," she replied, looking slightly confused.

"Then come with me," he said, walking towards her with an outstretched hand. "Enough sitting around and thinking about the past."

Still confused, Hermione took his hand and let him lead her around the castle. Each place they passed had special meaning; the third floor corridor, Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, the Fat Lady's portrait – they walked through the whole castle, top to bottom in complete silence, each remembering different things. Their clasped hands were the only sign that they were even aware of each other's presence. The castle had a different feeling that night. It was sad, bittersweet, as though the walls knew it was the ending of an era for some students.

Draco led Hermione outside, and they strolled quietly around the grounds underneath the full moon. Their journey ended inside the quidditch pitch. Draco stopped, and had a good long look around. He bit his lip with a small sigh. Hermione came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his stomach.

"It's so hard to think about leaving it all, isn't it?" He turned to face her, cupping her face in his hands.

"Not when I have you by my side," he replied. They kissed. It was a short kiss filled with the emotions they were both experiencing. Then Draco pulled out his wand, and with one flick, the pitch was filled with a familiar song. Hermione smiled. Draco pulled her wordlessly into his arms, beginning to sway with the melody.

"You set this up, didn't you?"

"Of course," he said, his smile widening. "I thought it would be a nice way to end things."

"We aren't ending things," she said softly. "I think this is only the beginning."

"I agree," he ended, feeling his heart jump in his chest. "Then I thought this would be a nice way to begin things."

"Either way, I'm impressed," she said with a kiss. He let her lips linger for a few moments before he began to softly sing along in her ear.

_Look at the stars,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_And everything you do,_

_Yeah, they were all yellow._

_I came along,_

_I wrote a song for you,_

_And all the things you do,_

_And it was called "Yellow."_

_So then I took my turn,_

_Oh what a thing to have done,_

_And it was all "Yellow."_

Hermione looked up at all the sparkling stars and smiled. He had picked an appropriate song for the clear summer night.

_Your skin_

_Oh yeah, your skin and bones,_

_Turn into something beautiful,_

_You know, you know I love you so,_

Draco pulled back, looking Hermione square in the eyes as he sang the next line, unable to keep the emotion out of his voice.

_You know I love you so_

Hermione's heart jumped in her chest. The look in his eyes was nothing short of pure love and sincere adoration. There was this feeling of clarity that she had never felt before. She knew in that moment that this, this was the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. Tears came to her eyes as Draco pulled her back into his chest, clutching her with a new feeling of need. She didn't need to say anything back: he knew. Draco continued to sing in her ear.

_I swam across,_

_I jumped across for you,_

_Oh what a thing to do._

_Cos you were all "Yellow,"_

_I drew a line,_

_I drew a line for you,_

_Oh what a thing to do,_

_And it was all "Yellow."_

_Your skin,_

_Oh yeah your skin and bones,_

_Turn into something beautiful,_

_And you know for you,_

_I'd bleed myself dry for you,_

_I'd bleed myself dry._

"Hermione, I want you to know that I would do anything for you. I would lay down my life for you. In you I see everything I want to be, everything I want to achieve. In you I see my future, I see love reflected in your perfect eyes. I can see happiness, a home, children. I can see everything in you that is good, everything that is perfect. I can see my wife in your eyes."

"Draco, what are you saying?"

He got down on one knee, and held out a small ring.

_It's true, look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine for, _

_Look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_Look how they shine._

"Hermione, will you marry me?"

_Look at the stars,_

_Look how they shine for you,_

_And all the things that you do._

Tears were falling from her eyes as the song ended, and she looked down into Draco's eyes. He was holding his breath, waiting for her reply. For a few seconds, she couldn't find her voice.

"Yes," she said, her face breaking into an exhilarated smile. "Absolutely!"

Draco slid the ring onto her finger and jumped up excitedly. He grabbed her, spinning her around in the air and kissing her all over. He put her on the ground, the both of them smiling, and she leaned in and kissed him with everything she had inside of her. They were both so young and filled with hope for the future, the future they were to share together. They stood there in the middle of the moonlit quidditch pitch, kissing each other and holding onto each other for what seemed like hours more. They then went back to the dorm area they shared together and were grounded by seeing that their things that they had packed up were stacked up by the door, ready for the next morning. With one final kiss, they went to bed.

The next day came too fast. Every last second they had at Hogwarts was precious, not to be wasted. There were a lot of tears shed as slowly the castle began to empty out. As Draco and Hermione walked towards the doors for the last time, Professor Dumbledore stopped them.

"Congratulations," he said, his eyes twinkling. Hermione and Draco looked at each other, unsure of how he knew when they hadn't told anyone yet. The aged man just chuckled and patted them each on the back.

"You've both been wonderful as Head Boy and Girl this year, and it's been a real pleasure knowing the both of you. You'll be very happy together. It makes an old man have hope in the world to see young love."

"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said, a sad smile gracing her face. "We're both going to miss you very much." With that, she reached forward and hugged Professor Dumbledore, who embraced her back. Draco reached out and shook his hand. As they walked hand in hand out the door, his twinkling eyes filled with tears. He then turned to say his final words to Harry.

The train ride back was a somber one. The 7th years couldn't believe this was the last time they would ever ride the Hogwart's Express. They exchanged stories, they laughed, they cried, and when the train came to a halt at Platform 9 and three quarters, they all just looked at each other in silence. With a small nod and a sad smile, Neville was the first to get off the train, and others followed one by one.

Hermione and Draco got off the train not knowing their future. Hermione's parents were gone, and she was to spend the summer looking for a job. Draco's father was gone too, and he was now free to live his live as he chose. They knew they were going to be married, but they knew that was a while off.

That summer, Albus Dumbledore passed away quietly in his sleep. All the students attended his funeral, Harry being the one who was hit the hardest. His presence was greatly missed by all in the wizarding community, but it was still a relief that he died of natural causes. Professor McGonagall was then promoted to Head Master, much to Professor Snape's chagrin. After the funeral, she approached Hermione to take her place as transfiguration professor. Hermione, thrilled at the opportunity, took the job offer and started within a few weeks.

The war, though Voldemort had been defeated, was still not completely over. There were still some Death Eater insurgents who were terrorizing the community, and Draco did his part to end the war. He served as a spy for the Ministry, using his father's position in jail to get in with the few Death Eaters left. He survived the war with few enemies because many were too stupid to realize that they had been sold out by one of their own, though one figured out and subjected Draco to a rather nasty curse that sent him to St. Mungo's for a few weeks. He recovered, and the offending Death Eater was punished to death. Draco then took a high paying job inside the Ministry and salvaged the Malfoy family name.

With all their ducks in a row, Hermione and Draco were married in a small ceremony. Harry gave Hermione away, and although Ron refused to attend because of his still wounded pride, the rest of the Weasley family showed up to support their surrogate daughter. Ron had a short lived marriage to Lavender, which quickly ended when the tables turned and Lavender had a wild affair with England's favorite pro quidditch player: Oliver Wood. They are now happily married with two children, and Lavender is quickly gaining a career as assistant to former Professor Trelawny. Ron is currently in a paper pushing low end job in the ministry, and lives in a modest flat by himself.

Hermione and Draco remained happily married and welcomed the birth of their first child, daughter Ginerva Jane Malfoy and their second child, son Draco James Malfoy. They are expecting another child this winter.


End file.
